I was sitting at my desk on Friday morning sipping my hot coffee while waiting for my computer to restart. I remember thinking to myself, “Thank God it’s Friday!” Have you ever had one of those weeks where every day was hard? Weeks like that can be so exhausting.

I stopped my thoughts from derailing into a self-pity party and got to work. Shortly after my oldest daughter walked in. She came in to tell me she had just gotten a text from her best friend from our hometown inviting she and I to come to a Women’s Conference in Georgetown that evening. She asked if she could go. Honestly guys, I was so exhausted that my gut instinct was no. I didn’t think I could find the energy to leave work, drive two and a half hours to Georgetown, participate in the two hour event and then drive home. I just wanted to go home on that rainy Friday and get in my PJ’s and crawl in bed.

Something inside told me that this was not about me, get over yourself, and take your girl to see her best friend. She needed it. What I didn’t know was just how deeply I needed it too.

The fog and misty rain caused us to arrive just 30 minutes before the event started. We met up with our besties in the parking lot that was full. There were over 3,000 women in attendance to this event. I thought to myself we were going to be lucky to find a seat. After we entered the auditorium there was a lady that walked up to us and asked us if we needed seats. We of course told her yes and she walked us right up front where the VIP’s were sitting. She ushered us in to 6 open seats right up front and center. Friends, when The Lord has a message to give you…HE MAKES THE WAY!

It was time to worship together. I don’t know if you have ever been to an event like this. If you haven’t may I encourage you to do so. When you have 3,000 women stand to their feet in PRAISE and WORSHIP the hair on the back of your head stands up. You can’t help but lift your hands and sing. The diversity in the room didn’t matter. We were all there with one purpose and all of our differences and trials in that moment seemed to fade away. It was AMAZING!

Priscilla Shirer was our guest speaker for the evening, and The Lord brought an amazing word through her that spoke to each of us right where we were. Isn’t that so cool…that through the word of God…He can speak to the masses individually and intimately. Check out this verse that we camped on for the evening; “Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, BUT HE HAD LEPROSY.” 2 Kings 5:1

What a man of accomplishment and resume. He was the commander of the army. He was highly respected. He was a valiant soldier. He had it going on…BUT HE HAD LEPROSY.  Priscilla went on to point out the way we are in our Social Media world today. We like to share our accomplishments and how we have it going on, but we don’t like to talk about our leprosy. The thing is we all have it. We all have something that is broken to deal with in our lives. It’s what we do with it that can either save us, or it can down right kill us.

“Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” 2 Kings 5:10

“So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” 2 Kings 5:14

Sweet friends, what are we going to do with our leprosy? Are we going to deal with it and be cleansed? Our Lord can handle our yuck. He wants us to lay it down before him. He can wash our sin away. He can cleanse us from it all. The weight can be lifted and our joy will return. I don’t know about you, but that is the life I desire to live. I am so grateful that I said yes to go. I am so grateful that my oldest got to sit next to me and hear the same message spoken to her personally. We both had walked into that building exhausted and tired from our hard and broken week, but we both left refreshed, cleansed and new. There were tears beautiful and thankful tears for the way He moved to provide for us. We needed it. He knew we needed it, and he met us there in the most beautiful way. We serve a mighty and faithful God! He is mighty to save and cleanse us from our sins.

Enjoy this beautiful song! Sing it to Him! He hears…he listens…and He ANSWERS!

The moment was surreal for me. I was holding my husband’s hand with my head bowed praying for one of my best friend’s baby that was being dedicated to The Lord. I had just held this sweet baby for the first time only minutes before the dedication. The smell of his sweet skin and innocence in his eyes took me back to when my girls were babies. I remember Ryan and I bringing them before the church and making the same commitment. In that moment of remembering my eyes filled up with tears.

My babies are teenagers now and gone are the days of the sweet baby smell and the innocence in their eyes. They are trudging through trying to find their way in this big world where school shootings, suicides, drugs, alcohol, and anxieties have reached a whole new high. I work in a high school where I see teenagers up close and personal. Their world is “Me-centric” where all that matters is the here and now. Parents voices begin to fade and their need for their peers approval begin to speak louder and cause confusion. I’d like to say that because I chose to take my daughters to the front of the church all those years ago that they are dismissed from the chaos, but that is not true. They do not receive a free pass on the struggles of life. We all have to go through them, but when you are surrounded by a community of faith and JESUS is their foundation… there is HOPE and a PROMISE that keeps us parents on our knees and fighting for our babies.

“Do NOT let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” John 14:1-11

Ryan and I made it back in time to go to our church at Currey Creek, and we are so grateful. This is the message that was shared. The timing is always perfect from The Lord. I love it…Jesus tells his disciples, “STOP letting your hearts be troubled!” BELIEVE!!!  Trust in God and BELIEVE IN ME! There is not one second of our days where our God has forgotten us. He REMEMBERS our dedication.  He REMEMBERS our salvation! All 3 of my babies have said YES to JESUS!  They are HIS! That promise that He made to His disciples are for you and for me! He is ACTIVE!  He is working on our behalf here and now and also in the future. I love that he says he is preparing a place for us…and then he goes on to say that he is coming back. You would think it would say that he is coming back to take us to the place he is preparing, but the verse says, “I will come back and take you to be with ME!” You guys…Jesus LOVES us and wants us to be with HIM!  There is nothing better than that good news my friends. 

We all have moments when we think like Doubting Thomas and Realist Philip. These guys are the real deal. They dropped everything to follow Christ and yet they struggled. We all do. We all fall short. Jesus is calling us to simply BELIEVE! Don’t stop trusting in God and BELIEVING in JESUS! He is the EXCLUSIVE way to the Father. You cannot get to the Father without believing in JESUS CHRIST! PRAY! Cry out to HIM!  Get on your knees for your children. There is an evil that is trying to steal them away, but when God’s people PRAY, God is VICTORIOUS.  He will NOT let them be plucked from HIS hands. Keep speaking the truth in love to your children. Keep loving them. Keep showing them your TRUST in God…and watch our Faithful Father do what only HE can do! Jesus SAVES! He will see our babies through all of their precious days!!!  #ARISE #BELIEVE #PRAY 

I had the opportunity to get away this past weekend to a 6,000 acre ranch. The plan was to hunt, relax, eat some food and hunt some more.  I am not an expert level hunter. In fact, I just learned how to look through the scope of a gun just a little over a year ago. Here’s the funny thing, no one on this trip would have guessed this to be true. I talk a pretty big game. I like to give the impression that I know what I am doing even when I don’t. The thing about deer camp is you can’t mask this for very long. They will figure you out quick…especially when you aim and miss.

I had a lot of time to think about things while sitting still in a deer stand. I was surrounded by nature. I had “missed the mark” when I missed a boar that had come out from the woods. He got away. I was disappointed and wished that I had the chance to shoot again. It made me start to question myself. What else have I missed the mark on?

It doesn’t take long, when you allow yourself to be reflective, to open your eyes and see a clearer picture of the person you see staring back at yourself. I miss the mark on so many things. I miss the mark on being the wife, the mother, daughter, sister and friend I need to be. I’m not perfect, so why try to give the impression that I am?

We made it back in time to go to church yesterday. The title of our sermon was, “Esse Quam Videri.” This means “To BE rather than to appear.” It seems The Lord was not finished allowing me my reflective thinking. The words that were spoken were speaking straight to my broken heart. We were in the book of Acts when Peter was speaking to the crowd after they had witnessed Peter heal a beggar.  They were astonished by him and he quickly confronted their sin and made much of Jesus Christ.

“Men of Isreal, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. YOU handed him over to be killed, and YOU disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. YOU disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murder be released to you. YOU killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.” Acts 3:12-15

Every time there is a YOU, you and I can place our name. We are sinners that fall short of the glory of God. We miss the mark! There is a remedy to our sin. Peter goes on to share it with the crowd. This is for us too. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be WIPED out, that times of REFRESHING may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you.” Acts 3:19-20

Sweet friends, if we are really His disciples, we must BE rather than appear. We must see the need for our own repentance. When we spend time with Him, he will allow us to see things the way they really are. I spent a good amount of time with Him yesterday, and tears flowed. I’m laying it down at His feet. We live in a world that only can condemn, but we have a Savior that WIPES away our sin. It’s gone! Done! Finished! Times of refreshment IS COMING when we lay it down! I will ARISE and GO! Won’t you join me?

A big THANK YOU to our sweet friends, The Chappell’s. We enjoyed our time with you and meeting your sweet friends. Thank you for putting up with my big talk self and loving me despite of it all. I’m such a work in progress, but thank God, He’s not finished with me yet.

Sometimes when this world has left me empty and has disappointed me I dream of Heaven. It helps me take my eyes off of my circumstances and place them on the reality that awaits me. It awaits for you too.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “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!” The he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” Revelation 21: 1-7

I love that John was given this vision and he was faithful to write it down for you and me. I love that God spoke to John and told him intimate details of what he will do for his children that overcome this world. It overwhelms me. Visualizing him wiping away my tears bring me tears today. The dream of not having any more death, mourning, crying or pain makes me long for Christ to come.

Like John, God allowed me to get a glimpse of Heaven when I was watching my grandmother rest in her hospital room while my mom went downstairs to call and set up the Hospice Nurse. I was the only one in the room when she woke up. She looked over at me and called me by name. This took me by surprise as she suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. She told me it was the most beautiful white she had ever seen. She went on to tell me she was going up the mountain and asked me if I thought she would know when she made it to the top. I held her hand and wiped away her tears as she continued to tell me what she saw. “I saw my mother and brother, they were smiling at me.” I knew that my precious Mema was on her journey to her forever home, and the peace that was ushered in was from God himself to me. I am forever grateful for that amazing moment with my grandmother. He allowed me to get a real glimpse of the glory that awaits for you and for me. Heaven is REAL sweet friends. This world is not our home. We are on a journey to the most beautiful and forever home we could ever receive and the BEST news is our God will dwell with us there. We will get to walk with him and talk with him. We will get to worship him all of our days. It will never grow old. I simply stand in AWE and can’t wait. Meanwhile, our charge as His followers is to keep marching on. Keep trusting in Him, the one who is faithful. He is making all things new. He told us that his words are trustworthy and true.

Did you know that all are invited to come? There’s no one unwelcome. I love this new song by Sidewalk Prophets. Take a listen. Let every word soak into your heart and help you breathe in His rich peace, grace and mercy that He offers. The invitation is easy to receive.  Jesus tells us in Mark 1:15, “The time has come,” he said, “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.”

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, whoever would LOVE life and see GOOD days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:8-12

What if we each took these words and lived by them? I wonder just how different this world would be. Our family sat down a couple of months ago and really digested what these words were asking us to do. It’s been a challenge for us, but in trying to live up to them we have experienced a breakthrough. I hear words from my bedroom that bring a momma to tears, “I love you sis, good night.” Simple words that bring hope and life. Harmony! The bickering is being suffocated out by compassion. It only takes one to get it started. What if you were that one person? What if instead of responding to an insult we offered grace? What if we prayed for the one that is hurting instead of trying to pay back the hurt?

Listen to the break down of these verses: “In our fallen world, it is often deemed acceptable by some to tear people down verbally or to get back at them if we feel hurt. Peter, remembering Jesus’ teaching to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39), encourages his readers to pay back wrongs by PRAYING for offenders. In God’s Kingdom, revenge is unacceptable behavior, as is insulting a person, no matter how indirectly it is done. RISE above getting back at those who hurt you. Instead of reacting angrily to these people, pray for them.”

There is a consequence to each direction we choose. When we choose to live in harmony with one another, to love, be compassionate and humble we LOVE LIFE and we see good days. The Lord’s eyes are upon us and his ears are attentive to our prayers. YES! I want and need  Him to hear me when I pray. How about you? When we choose to pay back evil with evil and insult with insult our consequence is steep. The face of the Lord is against us.

His word is a lamp unto our feet. It shows us how to live and shows us how to have a life of abundance. I don’t know about you, but I want that life. I want to offer a smile instead of a frown. I want to offer a word that can encourage over a word that can hurt. I want to show others sympathy instead of indifference. I want to be compassionate to what others are going through. We are all walking through our own trials. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all lend a shoulder or a helping hand instead of tending to our own selfish needs or desires. So what’s stopping us? Let’s get out there and LOVE BIG! Let’s ARISE! Let’s be obedient and experience a BREAKTHROUGH!

This is Genevieve Love holding me when I was first born. She is my Great Aunt on my dad’s paternal side. Everyone called her Dede. She had a contagious smile that would light up a room when you walked into it. She radiated JOY. I do not remember a cross word ever leaving her lips. She was gentle and kind, humble and generous. Everytime my parents would take us to visit she and Uncle Brooks they would give my sister and I a $1 before we would leave. We would get up in her lap and she would hug us as tight as her rheumatoid arthritis would allow. I will never forget my Dede.

This is Margaret McKnight. She is my Great Aunt on my dad’s maternal side. Everyone called her Aunt Honey. It was the perfect nickname for her. She was as sweet as honey. She was our family historical as she always had a camera. There was never a moment when Aunt Honey wasn’t asking you to smile. I was the first grandchild on both sides of my family. I learned to pose and smile at a very early age. She was the life of the party. Everything was BIG with Aunt Honey. She had exquisite taste in jewelry and perfumes. When my sister and I would visit we would spend hours in her bathroom spraying every kind of perfume and pretending we were movie stars. Before we went to bed my Uncle Hugh would make us a root beer float in a big fancy crystal glass…that’s right, right before bed. They rottened us because they could, and they wanted us to know we were loved. I will never forget my Aunt Honey.

These two ladies are where I get my amazing name, Margaret Genevieve. It’s why I go by Gennie with a “G.” I love it’s uniqueness. I love that I bear the name of two amazing ladies that never had children of their own but LOVED each of us as if we were their own. I love the qualities they both had, and I pray that one day my children’s children may remember me as fondly as I remember them. I hope I radiate JOY as much as Dede did. I hope I am kind and generous. I hope I am seen as FUN and the life of the party like my Aunt Honey. I hope I break out the crystal glasses and serve up something special for my grandbabies right before bed.

Last week I had a dream about my Nana. She was my dad’s mom, sister to Aunt Honey and the very best grandmother to her 9 grandchildren. It’s been years since I have dreamed of her. She was so beautiful in the dream, just the way I remember her. She was helping me clean out my drawers of all things. I remember waking up and just being so thankful for that precious dream. When I went to work that day I was having a conversation with our new Counselors. They asked me if my first name was Margaret. I said yes with a smile and went on to explain the heritage of my name. I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe The Lord was reminding me of my sweet heritage and to write it down so that my children and their children will know the depth of their heritage.

When God called me to “Arise” this year by being strong and courageous from Joshua 1:9 he also showed me the importance of remembering our heritage…yours and mine. We all are descendants from Abraham. We are like the Israelites trying to make it to our Promised Land. Just as God had parted the red sea with Moses, he parted the Jordan River for Joshua and his people so they could cross over. He will do the same for us. He is a “Waymaker.” No matter what mountain you are climbing or dry land you are walking through keep going. Persevere! Hold FAST! Remember His faithfulness. Write it down so you won’t forget. Share it with your loved ones.

“In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground. For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the people of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” Joshua 4:21-24

I love the footnote of my bible for these verses. It says, “Do you have traditions — special dates or special places–to help your children learn about God’s work in your life? Do you take time to tell them what God has done for you – forgiving and saving you, answering your prayers, supplying your needs? Retelling your story will help keep memories of God’s faithfulness alive in your family.”

I hope this inspires you like it did me to write it down. Tell your family, especially your children, of His faithfulness. Life is hard. It can try to knock you down to the point you don’t want to get back up, but when we remember His faithfulness not only to us but through the hands that have gone before us it gives us the courage and the strength to keep going!

Today I dedicate this blog in loving memory of my Father in Law, Charles Wayne Coe – February 11, 1944-January 22, 2014. Four years ago today…we miss him, we love him and we will always remember our Grandad!

To my husband…keep marching on sweet one! Persevere, hold-fast, we will make it to the Promised Land! I love you now and forever.

Do you know how amazing you are? Let that question sink in for a minute and ponder it. I’m not asking it in a way to make you feel better about yourself or to boost your confidence…although that will naturally happen when you discover this truth. I’m asking if you really know the amazing depth that our Creator has gone to create YOU?

This past year our family experienced broken bones for the first time. Our youngest had a bilateral L5 lumbar fracture. In layman’s terms that means she broke her back. Scary doesn’t even scratch the surface of the emotions we experienced. Our middle one broke her hand. The doctor called it “The Boxer’s break.” What in the world? How and more importantly WHY is this happening were my questions in my quiet time. (Side note: God can handle our how’s and our why’s. It is okay to ask him questions when we don’t understand.)

You know the saying… hindsight is 20/20…it’s true! Now that I have experienced the healing side of the broken bones I can tell you with all confidence that our God was making us stronger, in every way possible. I want you to see the scientific side of the healing. It will leave you in AWE.

I had a wonderful opportunity to visit with Mr. Keith Jeffcoat, Science Teacher and Boerne High School’s Teacher of the Year for 2018. I love this guy’s passion for Science. The time I had with him had me on the edge of my seat eager to learn more. Here’s what he shared with me.

“During a fracture or break the bone will temporarily have calcium deposited around the area to help strengthen the bone until healing is complete.  This is a temporary mineralization of the area to aid in healing in two ways.  One, the calcium is at the spot that is needed for healing and the protection will make sure that further damage does not occur.  At the time of complete healing the bone will return to normal amount of bone.  This is compared to calluses on feet or hands.  If you use your hands for labor intensive work then you will develop calluses, but when you are no longer using your hands in the same way then the calluses will lesson and eventually go away.”

Isn’t that fascinating? God created our bodies to heal themselves when they become weak by providing a way to make them stronger until they are fully healed. WOW!

Mr. Jeffcoat went on to share more interesting science facts. Did you know the Earlobe attachment is controlled by 49 genes? 

Our discussion even moved into how we obtain our skin color. Mr. Jeffcoat says, “This one is complicated I guess.  I learned that there are 6 primary genes that control melanin which is the primary skin pigment and that the results of that is 64 skin colors, but it goes much deeper than that.  One publication stated that there could be as many as 378 genes controlling skin color because of many factors.  Some factors that we don’t think of is amount of blood under the skin, the amount of fat just under the surface of the skin and if one or more of the genes is missing or dormant then it becomes active for another one.  I guess the reality is there are thousands of skin colors.”

WOW! Our skin color is no accident to our God. It was uniquely designed to create YOU just the way He wanted you to be! On this Martin Luther King Monday, I hope this resonates deep into your soul that He LOVES YOU! He loves all of the NATIONS! We are HIS children. None of us are better than another. Our bodies are miracles that He designed with such purpose. When we grow weak He has a way to make us stronger.

As you go about this week try to memorize this verse and Praise Him for creating you to be YOU and then get out there and ARISE and SHINE for HIM! “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139: 13-14

“We are all one race, destined for GREATNESS. Let us live together in PEACE and LOVE in a Beloved Community.” Martin Luther King Jr.

This song never gets old at our house. I hope it’s one you all know and sing at yours.

Links to resources quoted by Mr. Jeffcoat:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8060014

http://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(17)30421-4

http://www.gbhealthwatch.com/Trait-Skin-Color.php

Happy New Year faithful followers! I’m back to blogging, and I could not be more excited!!! I have so much to share with you. It’s been a little over a year since I have written.  2017 was a year of submitting to The Lord and being gentle and quiet. It was the most challenging year of my life. When The Lord asks you to be quiet be prepared to learn. He will begin to speak and show you things about yourself that you never knew. I feel like a new me has emerged from the ashes, and I am so much better from having gone through the valley with the faithfulness of The Lord by my side.  If there is anything I desire for you to take away from this post…it’s that our God is FAITHFUL. He WILL see you through your darkest hour, and you WILL be STRONGER and CLOSER to our Creator than you ever were before. Trust Him!

In the fall, when I was at my lowest point, my sister invited me to a Women’s Retreat in Wimberley, TX. I am so grateful I said yes and went. The message spoken to all of the women present was the beginning of the turning point for me and where The Lord IS leading me…it’s where He is leading all of us if we will ARISE and GO. “Moses my servant is dead. Now arise, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give them –to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses” Joshua 1:2-3. I love how God calls Joshua to action. The Israelites were stuck…not moving forward. They had been encircling their problems instead of encircling their promises. What an ah-ha moment for me. I was just like them in my own journey. The words of hurt that had been spoken over me and my family continued to keep me stuck in the pit of despair. I was not moving forward. That is not the intention of our Lord. He wants us to move forward each new day towards our Promised Land. I love this quote that the leader of the conference spoke over us, “When we ARISE, the position and posture of our hearts change and point us to the promise.” When I looked up the definition of arise this is what I learned: Arise is a verb that means to get up, to stand, to emerge. It’s an action that we must take. Instead of focusing on our problems, we must focus on our PROMISES.

Check out these promises: “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:5

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

Friends, I can attest to this truth. He never left my side this past year. He was with me through it all. He listened to me. He affirmed me. He loved me. He spoke truth over me. I am a child of God, and so are YOU! These same promises are for us all.  We can ARISE and GO.

I love how honest He is with us at the same time of sharing His promises. He is reminding us we are going to have to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS. When he called Joshua to arise, he told him not once, not twice but three times in a row to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS. The reason…because he knew it was going to be hard. “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the laws my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do NOT be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9

So that’s it…that’s the message The Lord has spoken over me. “Arise” is my word of the year. I will stand up and GO! I will be STRONG and COURAGEOUS while doing it. My verse of the year is Joshua 1:9. I even have a shirt of the year. It’s perfect. “RISE UP, TAKE COURAGE and DO IT!” Ezra 10:4 If you want one visit this link: Pure Hope Foundation. By purchasing one you will be an active part in the fight against sex trafficking and you get a darn cute shirt. It’s a WIN WIN! Will you join me?

You know I love music too. It speaks to my soul.  Take a listen to my song of the year. I hope it inspires you like it did me. You are so loved sweet friends. Keep fighting the good fight. You WILL make it to the Promised Land! I can’t wait to see you there with our Savior. He is so worthy of our PRAISE!!!  #gloryup #arise

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” Psalm 105:1

Today is my 100th blog post! The timing of this celebration blows me away. I just returned from a vacation in the mountains of Estes Park, Colorado. He knew! He knew before I even took my first breath that this week in time would align with this 100th post of encouraging others. As the winds whistled through the trees I heard Him whisper sweet and tender things to me. I started this journey on January 1, 2015 almost 2 year ago out of an obedience to The Lord. My family had just picked up and moved. We had left everything and everyone we knew behind us. We had said YES to The Lord, and He wanted me to share some of my journey with YOU…to encourage you and to testify to you that He is GOOD. I stand in AWE of what He has accomplished through this broken vessel over these past two years. Together we have reached 16,827 views in over 60 countries with the good news of Jesus Christ. This my friends is worth celebrating!

The whole experience has come full circle for me. As I hiked through the mountains, I recalled my very first blog post. (You can read “A Real Journey” by clicking here.) The Lord had given me an experience with my grandmother that I will never stop praising Him for as long as I have breath. He allowed me to see Him through her REAL journey home to Him. I was the only one in the hospital room with her when she asked me if she would know when she made it to the top of the mountain. She described it as the most beautiful and pure white that she had ever seen. She saw her mother and her brother there…smiling at her. She was not having a lapse in memory as Alzheimer’s had robbed her so many times before, she was really experiencing her journey home. I remember tears falling down my cheeks as I rubbed her hair and held her hand. She was so peaceful and so ready to make it to the top of the mountain.

Friends, we are all on our journey towards our forever home. Only God knows when we will make it to the top. Until that moment comes LIVE and LIVE WITH ABANDON! After our hike we started our way back down to the village when this song came on the radio. There He was speaking to me again right through the radio waves. I believe every word of these lyrics. I hope it inspires you too.

So what’s stopping you? Every single day we are given is a gift straight from above. Make it count. Our callings are different, but we are all the same in how we are loved and are to give that love away. On our flight home yesterday I saw it lived it out so well. There was a precious couple in front of us. They looked to be in their 70’s. The flight attendant had made her way to their row to ask if they wanted to purchase a snack. The gentleman nodded with a yes and ordered. The African American pregnant lady next to him asked for a sprite only she did not have a way to pay for it. The sweet gentleman told the flight attendant her snacks and drink were on him. He told her to order whatever she wanted.There wasn’t a big heroic celebration. No one else really knew that it happened, but he was living with abandon. He was showing love and offering it to someone he did not know nor did he expect anything in return. He simply gave it away.

So how will you give love away today? How will you live with abandon this coming year? Do you have new goals in mind? I hope you do. I hope you draw closer to our Lord. Spend time with Him daily. His Holy word is a comfort and a lifeline to my soul…may it be the same for you. Give Him thanks daily for your many blessings. There are many even in the midst of suffering and adversity. Look for them. Praise Him for them. You’ll be amazed at how your perspective changes and you will feel lifted above the mire. Share His love with those you know and those you don’t know. Be the gift! Live with abandon!!!

“May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and PEACE as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13. 

It’s finals week at our house and for many of your homes as well. Our kids are tired. There is a bit of weariness in us too. We’re all ready for the break, and if we are not careful we will be tempted to throw our hands up and just go through the motions to get through… offering less than our very best. I want to encourage you today to not fall into that temptation. Don’t listen to the lie that mediocrity is okay to give. We should never settle for anything other than our very best. I have the best Christmas story to illustrate to you why.

“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” Matthew 2:9-11

Jesus was probably one to two years old by the time the wise men found him. They had traveled far following the star to get to him. Can you imagine how tired they were? What a journey they had traveled to meet the KING of kings and LORD of lords. I am sure they had moments of tiredness along the way, but they kept going. They kept giving their best foot forward to get to him, and when they arrived they gave him the best gifts only fitting for a KING. Enjoy these words from the footnote of my study bible for verse 11, “The Magi brought gifts and worshipped Jesus for who he was. This is the essence of true worship-honoring Christ for who he is and being willing to give him what is valuable to you. Worship God because he is the perfect, just and almighty Creator of the universe, worthy of the BEST YOU have to give.”

Did you catch that? He is worthy of the BEST that we have to give! Day in and day out we are to give Him the best. Only you and He knows what that best is. I love the story of the poor widow who gave all she had. “Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth, he said, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4

He sees and He knows. You don’t have to be rich to give Him your best. You don’t have to be the most successful. You don’t have to make the highest grade in the class. Just simply give Him the very BEST of YOU! Our oldest daughter exemplified it so well this week to our family. School doesn’t come easy for this precious child. In fact, it’s downright hard. She had a big test in her Pre-AP Geometry class that was going to make her or break her. We had a discussion about what giving her best looks like. She went to tutoring every day for a week. She stayed after class and came to school early. She even met with her tennis coach who teaches math. He helped her too. Test day came and she gave it her very best. She felt good about what she had done and was hopeful to hear the results. It took the teacher a couple of days to grade it. Early this week she was in my office after school. She logged into the portal to check her grades. I was busy working not paying much attention when I heard her burst out in tears of joy. “Mom, I did it!  I made a 89 on my Geometry test.” You guys…this momma could not have been more proud.  Our girl had given her very best she could offer and that is worthy to Him. You are worthy to Him! He’s the KING of kings and LORD of lords. Don’t settle for giving him your second best. Give Him all you’ve got, every single day He gives you.

We are on our journey to meet Him face to face…just like those three wise men. One day we will see Him, and we will lay our gifts at His feet. We will lay down every treasure we have earned along the way. Follow the star sweet friends…we will get to where we are going and we too will be overjoyed when we get there. Give Him your BEST today!  Merry Christmas!