Beautiful Delores and the shivering man

James 1:19-27

New International Version (NIV)

Listening and Doing

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.





The other morning I woke up and felt as if God were telling me to read the book of James. So I did, and several parts stood out.. The part about doing what the word says rather than simply talking about it.  The other part that stood out was the verse about caring for orphans and widows.

I realized after I read that verse, that I hadn't been to the nursing home in quite a while. I visit on occassion. The nursing home is filled with widows. If you want to find a place of suffering and despair, visit your local nursing home.

Several months earlier, the boys and I had gone and met some really amazing people. I met a dear lady who was so upset that her family didn't come see her at Christmas. I asked her if she needed anything, and she asked for honeybuns and new batteries for her hearing aid.
So the boys and I went to the store and fulfilled her request.

We also met a wonderful lady named Delores. She doted after Cade, telling me how handsome he was. She was so lonely that she didn't want us to leave.

This time around, I picked up some more honeybuns. I planned to give them to old friend and I planned on chatting with Delores.

When I got there, I went to drop off the honeybuns and say hello..only (and forgive me I can't remember her name :(  , but she wasn't there. Someone else had moved into her bed. I had a sinking feeling and I was too afraid to ask what happened to her.

We then walked into Delores room. I saw she was sleeping so I walked to visit with her roommate. (Two people share a room in this particular nursing home)   She told me that Delores wasn't doing well. She said that she hasn't been opening her eyes much and that she didn't think she had much longer left. The sinking feeling again rose up in the pit of my stomach.

After I spoke with the roomate, I walked over to Delores bedside. I don't  really consider myself to be an affectionate person, but I felt as if I was supposed to grab her hand and just hold it for a while. So I did. I started speaking to her and I saw her open her eyes. I don't consider myself to be a talkative person. I'm rather shy around people, but, on that day..I looked Delores in the eyes and I told her that everything is going to be ok. I told her that she is a strong woman. I told her that God loves her and that this suffering is only temporary. I put my hand on her forehead and wiped the hair away from her eyes. I asked her if she could speak and she made a noise that sounded like a grunt. I told her that even though the words won't come, God sees her pray. Pray with your heart, Delores.
We sat by her for about an hour, and as we left, we told her that we loved her.

I walked to another part of the building and I saw a man hunched over in a wheel chair. He looked to be shaking. I asked him if he was cold and he nodded that he was cold. I noticed that he had no blankets on his bed. Only the standard issued sheet. So, I wrapped him in his sheet. He thanked us.

The next day, I saw an unused blanket sitting in the top of my closet, so I took it down. It was gathering dust and I knew a man who could really use it. When I got there to give it to him, he was asleep.
But I spread it across his sleeping body, the way a mother would do for a child. He woke up for a moment and I told him that I was giving him my blanket. He smiled and thanked me and fell back asleep.

We stopped and checked on Delores again. She smiled at us.

Last week was so unbelievably busy. I bought decorations for the house I'll soon be renting, I made my own soap, learned how to distress a table, distressed said table, and the list goes on...

Out of all of the amazing things I did last week, the greatest fulfillment came through giving. The Bible said to trade our joy for mourning.  "Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness."

The day I left the nursing home, I was deeply saddened. I was saddened by the lonlieness, the rejection, and the death that lives in those walls. But, I knew when I left that those are the kinds of places we are supposed to be..trading in our joy so that we can suffer with others in the same way that Christ suffered for us.


Some people forget about the elderly, the "widows". Many write them off as just being "old."
We fail to see the child in them. We fail to treat them as we would want to be treated.
No one, and I mean no one, would ever want to die alone.

Sometimes I wish more people out there would visit the elderly. If everyone had one person to visit, then places of death would quickly spring into places of life.   I think my biggest hope is that this post will challenge someone to be a light to the elderly.

Dreaming

today is a day for dreaming..
Sometimes, it is so easy to get caught up in the spinning wheel of routine and life that dreaming seems a lost art. Sometimes busyness dominates my life. It's nothing for me to get up at 3 am, drive an hour to work, work 12 hours, and drive back.  It's exhausting at times.
But today is a day for dreaming...
I am trusting God that He will show me more of what He wants for my life... I believe that when our dreams are in line with God's will, good things happen.

Some of my dreams are small and simple.. others are more grandiose.

Today, I'm dreaming about writing more music, spending more quality time with my children, limiting television, video games, and other technology to almost nil ( or getting rid of it altogether)

I'm dreaming about visiting wonderful places all around the world, visiting long lost friends, and making new ones. I'm dreaming of being a helping hand to those in need..

I'm dreaming of taking the time to learn to make things..like homemade soaps and candles and hats and nice pretty things like that.  I think I can get this done if I eliminate tv and facebook and all of the other things that consume too much of my time)

I'm dreaming of being the kind of mom who doesn't forget about her kids because she's too busy all of the time. I'm dreaming about getting our hands dirty in the kitchen, baking cookies..
I'm dreaming about buying Cade a musical instrument and then learning how to play together. 

I'm dreaming about adopting a kitten..
I'm dreaming about having hot coffee brewing 24/7 and an open door to all who need an ear to listen or a hand to feed.

I'm dreaming of going to the beach and relishing the sound of the waves and the smell of saltwater.

These are my God dreams..things that God put in my heart..


So tell me, what are your dreams?

Sold out

Lately, I've been on a quest to eat healthier. For the past few days, I have drank water spruced with a hint of lime..I've feasted on pecan halves, fresh apples with honey, cooked corn on the cob, and okra.
Today, I caved. I felt the temptation for a dr. pepper creeping up on me and it was very hard to resist.
I gathered my change and ventured to the coke machine at work.  I hit the Dr. Pepper and two words screamed back at me....flashing across a tiny little screen..
SOLD OUT..
Yes, I sold out.
I got a coke instead. 

Back to eating nuts and berries tomorrow.
Today, I sold out.
But I am having the best of days and my prayer is that you are too :)

Love Is

Today I recall my former days in "the world".... I recall men from former relationships.  I recall never feeling truly loved by any of them.  It was as if I kept searching for something within them...I wanted to pull out love and fantastical and wonderous things and all things good..but nothing like that ever came. It left me with an empty void..a craving of sorts.  I craved wholeness and yet I was a thousand broken pieces. I thought that these men could piece me together, but I know that none could have loved me with the love that I craved.

Deep down inside, I knew what love really was.. True love isn't looking to be pieced together, but looks to do the piecing.
Love is selfless. It doesn't count what it feels as fact. It pushes on and goes beyond feelings.
Love is pure, not something steeped in selfishness and sin.
Love is Jesus dying on a cross for people who cursed and mocked His name.

Love is the old man taking care of his dying wife when he would rather be out fishing.
Love is the young girl who gives up "the american dream" to serve in a Mexican orphanage..wher air conditoners don't work, but laughter is everywhere..simply because she gave.

Love is the lady who lovingly stitches hats for 26 men in at the homeless shelter...and then makes 15 more for the women's shelter.
Love keeps going.
It never dies.
It is a perpetual fire that ceases to burn. 

I don't know the answer to the question: Does God cause suffering?
Truthfully, I don't think that He does.
But I do know that the greatest triumph comes from the greatest tragedy.
I know that even in the most dire circumstances,
Love always shines like a light in the darkness.

Love is..

1 John 4:8

^{\ does not love does not know God, because God is love.} Whoever

Several months ago, I had a dream about a kitten. I could see that the kitten had been abused. She appeared tattered, beaten down, and weary. I can't recall all of her physical qualities, but I remember that she had been severely mistreated.  In the dream, I gave her some warm milk. I took care of her. I fed her and gave her warmth and comfort.  She left for a while. She went on about her prowess kitty ways, but later she came back.  She craved more of the love she had received. She had tasted it and she wanted more. 
I woke up and I felt as if the dream was from God. I felt as if He was saying that many of His children are like lost kittens. Some have been battered and beaten down by life..but it is our job to take care of them. Give them food..Give them love, the pure spirtual milk. they will know it's taste and, though they may stray, they will remember the warmth, the comfort, and the taste of love. They will come back.

I haven't really much thought about the dream until today.

A few weeks ago, I was in my grandfather's yard. I was bringing my boys for a sleepover when lo and behold, out of the corner of my eye, was a very scrawny, very tattered cat.  She was so skinny that her bones were protruding. A few moments later, I spotted her kitten. The kitten was also quite scrawny. I went inside my grandfather's house and I found a can of tuna fish. I fed the mother and her kitten.
The next day I found another kitten. This kitten was missing an eye. She had a gash on the side of neck that possibly came from another animal.  Between my grandfather and I, we've been feeding the cats.

The other day, I was driving down the road and I spotted the really battered, one eyed kitten, on the side of the road. She was half hidden in the grass, peering out her little yellow head. She was so  tiny and helpless looking. Apparently, she had gotten onto my grandfather's truck and taken a ride a few miles down the road. ...
I was in a hurry to be somewhere, but I stopped to pick her up. Normally, the kittens were quite shy. Everytime I would call one, they would scurry. They would never really let me touch them.

Well, that day..was different. The kitten must have known that I was there to rescue her, so she willingly hopped into my arms. I brought her back to my grandfather's house and he gave her a fresh can of sardines.


Up to that point, I still hadn't really thought much about the dream.

Today, I was driving for my daily starbucks run. As I was going under the overpass, I saw a man sitting there, huddled and alone, seeking shelter from the rain.

As I was getting onto the interstate, I knew that I should've offered to feed the man huddled helplessly under the overpass. I remembered the dream, and I remembered how I went out of my way to help the kitten on the side of the road. But here was a man and I didn't even stop.... But I was dead set on getting him fed.

Truthfully, I should have turned around. I should've found the next exit and starbucks be damned. (pardon that slang there) but really, I should have. I just hoped that I find him in the same place when I returned from my quick trip.

Sure enough. On the way back, I saw him sitting near the ramp of the interstate waiting for a ride. I knew I had to pass that way on my way to work, so I went to subway and ordered two foot long subway sandwiches.. BLT's, to be exact.
I got two iced cold Dr. Pepper's and two bags of Nacho Cheese Doritos.

As I drove up the ramp towards work, I noticed that the man was gone. Someone must have picked him up and given him a ride.

I kept remembering the dream and how I went out of my way and altered my schedule for the kitten. I know that God is calling us to do that with the people we encounter on a daily basis..
He is calling us to lay aside our selves to make sure that people have food and clothing. He is calling us to love in real and tangible ways.
He calls us to feed His sheep. Sometimes that means more than a quick and passing thought towards someone..sometimes it calls for us to go above and beyond and making sure that they are warm and comfortable, and, fed.
Food is the most basic need and yet people still go hungry every single day.
"Feed my sheep."

the day I spotted that kitten on the  road, I made sure that he was fed and cared for.
I realized that I am supposed to care for every person I see with the zeal and fervor that I cared for that little kitten.
Love is the purpose that we are here for..and love how He knows that we are His disciples.

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13;35

The one thing that I am completely enamored by in this life is the love of God. It is something so real and beautiful. It is timeless and powerful.
I crave more of it daily.
I long to love every single person in such a way that they see Christ in all that I do and in every word that I speak.
Lord, let us all desire that kind of love..such that we are willing to put ourselves upon a Cross to show others grace.

----

Today, I remembered a dear friend of mine. He doesn't really know Christ. A long time ago he told me a story about how he rescued a goat by the side of the road. It's head was stuck in a barbed wire fence. He told me how he spotted it and set it free.

Today, I sent him an email. I reminded him of the story he told me..and then I told him that Jesus is like that.  Jesus is the man who sees the suffering creature and then lovingly sets it free.
I implied that he was acting a lot like Jesus when he loosed the head of that helpless animal.

Want to hear something else that may sound crazy?

As I was driving to work, I still had the extra subway sandwich in tow. I took a different route. I took a route where I know there are sometimes homeless people hanging out near the overpass. I was hoping to see someone who would want the sandwich.

I didn't see anyone, but, as I was driving..God told me that He was going to feed me at work tonight.
Tonight, I walked into the control room at work and someone offered me a steak. 

God takes care of us. He expects of us to take care of His sheep, but in turn, he provides.
God is good.


James 4:10“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

36 ideas for a lovely and meaningful summer

I am standing on the precipice of the age of 36.
I am looking down at 35 years,,..the older I get..the further I look back through the years.

On the ladder of life, my foot is poised to step on rung 36.
I can see summer from this altitude..

and she looks dazzling...all clothed in promise and adventure..
Today, I am writing a post on how I will celebrate 36 years of living...This summer I will venture off the beaten path...
 I hope you will too...
I hope that this summer will be your year...The year of flourishing and beauty. A year where you find beauty and meaning and wonder.

...The year where you emerge from your cocoon of safety and discover that you had wings, all along.. I want this year to be filled with meaning, depth, and beauty.
I want the same for you.

Here are 36 ways to Make a Summer Meaningful and Great.

1. Pick something.
I live in the south. Blackberry season is nudging her pretty little head through the ground and soon the delicious little treats will be everywhere. If blackberries don't grow in your area..look up a local "pick your own" farm.

I heard about pick your own farms in the not too distant past. The idea of grabbing a bucket and strolling through a farm filling it with fresh fruit or vegetables sounded romantic. Peaches, apples, cherries, blueberries...If it grows from the ground, there may be a farm to pick it... Eat fresh fruit off the vine. Take the kids. Hold hands. Enjoy the quiet. Taste the natural. Make it meaningful.
Here is a link to "pick your own" farms. http://www.pickyourown.org/


2. Turn off the T.V..T.V takes time and eats it. You never get it back.Create your own story, instead of watching someone else's play out on screen. You are a character in the beautiful life you've been given. This summer, turn off the television..or at least limit the amount of television you and your family watch. Life is too short. Make memories. Ten years from now you will remember loving on someone. You will remember your meaningful summer. You will not remember the episode of American Idol. I promise.



3. Volunteer. This summer, take time to be a part of something. Make a difference. This year I volunteered for Big Brothers/Big Sisters.. I am a Big Sister to a lovely little girl named Alicelynn. Research ways to volunteer in your community. Give Back! Be a part of a child's life.  Here's a link to Big Brothers/Big Sisters...http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5962335/k.BE16/Home.htm



4. Learn something new - Our local college offers leisure learning classes..Learn how to tango or play the guitar...learn that foreign language you've always wanted to learn. You don't have to spend a fortune to enhance your skillls. My sister-in-law leaned to crochet baby hats simply by watching a youtube video. My son is teaching himself to draw the same way.. Find your passion, and exlore it..Learn something new!


5. Pray together - There is nothing more beautiful and meaningful than a family that prays together. The most beautiful part of all is that God hears our prayers. This past year, I have truly been amazed at the specific ways that God has heard my prayers. He hears yours, too. How do we teach our children to pray? To pray for them..



6. Read. Curl up with a good book. Sit on the back porch with a cup of coffee. Try teechino. Google it. I finished "The Help" in the not too distant past..I'm not attempting Don Quixote. The book is always better than the movie.  Read the Bible..some Bibles grow dusty on out of reach shelves. Take it down and study it.. Ask God to show you the Truth through His Word.. I have seen it come alive on more than one occassion.



7. Fellowship - Take time to get to know the neigbors. Bake some cookies and deliver them to people around the neighborhood. Take the time to love truly love those around you. Forgive those who have wronged you..and fellowship. It's what Jesus and His disciples did...Loved out loud.



8. Love anonymously- Don't let love be a game of bells and whistles..take the time to love someone anonymously. Leave random notes on strangers cars. Pay for the person's order in the car behind you at the drive through..leave flowers on a neighbors doorstep..saying, "Jesus loves you." 



9. Travel - Travel isn't possible for all people..but take time to explore the beauty around you. Go to places you have never been. Walk through the forest or the park.. To me, traveling is simply to move..


10. Play in the rain- Let loose your inner child..on a rainy day..take the kids outsie and laugh. Get your toes wet..It's a memory you will have forever.


11.  Create - Write, sing, photograph, craft...You were created to create. You may not think of yourself as creative, but there is something within you that is uniquely you. Let it come out.



12. Build something.... Build a lego structure, a swing set, a tree house, something that will make memories...memories are meaningful.


13. Take a day to write handwritten letters in leiu of "liking" a friend's facebook post. I love facebook, but nothing compares to real human interaction. I love my facebook friends but nothing compares to someone taking the time to acknowlege you.  Write a letter to someone instead of simply "liking" them. It's more meaningful.


14. Take a pinterest day where you make a recipe or craft from pinterest - Try that recipe for eggplant parm that you have always wanted to make.. or make the cool sandwich for you child.."the one that looks like mickey mouse." Get off of the computer and make something :)  If you have children, let them help out. It builds thier confidence and lets them know how much you love them.


15. Hug. Nothing compares to a wam, gentle hug. Take a day and make it point to hug everyone around you.


16. Encourage - Words can build up or tear down. Cease to speak negatively. Instead, pratice being an encouragement to those around you.


17. Give something away...Go through you closets. Give away clothes you don't wear. Give away clothes you do wear. Give away items you don't need, and help someone who truly doesn need them. There is nothing more soul satisfying than loving on God and helping His children.


18. Think Missions - Go on a mission trip. I found a really cool one that I would like to go to on Compassion International's website. I've noticed that many of the major charities offer mission trip opportunites. Some are rather costly..but some sites offer trips to places in the United States..Here is a link to a few of the trips offered by Compassion.  http://www.compassion.com/get-involved/trips-visits.htm


19.  Improve your eating habits -It's important to feel good, so try to improve your eating habits.  This is something that I truly need to work on...so maybe I have no right to even right about this subject matter...but I do like the idea of feeling healthy and vibrant. I want to feel confident in my eating habits. I want you  to feel confident, as well.


20.  Be the diva that you are. You are beautiful. Take a day to remind yourself. Get a massage. Get your nails done and treat yourself to something new. Be the diva that you are.


21. Exemplify patience. It's easy to allow stress to hinder your day. It's easy to resort to yelling and fussing. Pray and ask for greater patience. Everyone around you will soon begin to see a difference and life will soon look more lovely.


22.  Find your passion. Ever wanted to try your hand at cooking? or learn the tango? Do it..discover new things that you love.


23. Give God the glory. Thank Him for each and every day...thank Him for every sunrise and sunset. Sometimes we simply don't  thank Him enough.


24. Photograph - I love capturing moments. This summer, carry your camera with you. Be creative..capture different angles, viewpoints... do a little online  research and just have fun...


25. Be the Spark- You are the light of the world. Let it shine. Be the candle in someone else's life. Hold the door open for a stranger. Do something whimsical and unexpectedly kind. Be That person.


26. Read the Bible. Learn about Jesus and let Him be an example to live by..


27. Road Trip - enough said...


28. Listen to music that inspires


29. Be a tourist in your own hometown -go to your local tourist office and see your town with different eyes. We often take for granted the wonders around us..


30. One word: Gratitude..In the Bible, God urges us to not want more,but to simply be thankful for all that we have. Peace comes when we learn to appreciate the small, quiet moments. Beauty comes when we learn to let go and simply learn to appreciate what is right in front of us.


31. Host a meteor shower party - in our family, we have started a tradition..we have meteor shower parties.We gather up family and food and lots of chairs ..we build a bonfire and we watch the stars fall from the sky. It creates wonderful memories and it's fun.


32.  Be childlike! Is there anything more lovely than being childlike? Lay in the grass, stare up at the sky and find shapes in the clouds. Fly a kite. Go for a bike ride or roller skate..


33. have a front porch, sweet tea kind of summer - sometimes, the best thing one can do,,, is to sit in the stillness and the silence. this summer doesn't have to be busy. Aim for quiet often.


34. Reconcile and apologize - Meaning can often be found by simply saying, Sorry.. It's a hard thing to do sometimes, but it allows you to let go of a lot of hurt and baggage.


35. Love. There is no greater purpose on this earth than to love those around us. We often get so heavily involved in our worries, fears, work..and even technology ..that we miss wonderful opportunites to love.

36...well, i'm tired..so I am simply going to suggest rest. Take a break. Rest. Don't do anything. Relish it.

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to the ones who know hurting

In High School, I felt like an utter and complete reject. Perhaps I was in some ways.

I remember P.E. class. The team captains would be chosen. Each team captain would get to hand pick their team. I remember hoping time after time that I wouldn't be picked last... But, the numbers would dwindle..and even though I was quite good at sports, I would be left..like a rotten apple..that no one really quite wanted.
Picked last.
I dreaded P.E. for fear of being picked last.
I wasn't always picked last..sometimes my friends would be captain...but it seemed that when the other 98 percent of the class was chosen as team captain..I was left looking at the bottom of the barrel.

And then, of course, there were the school dances. The sock hops, the Sadie Hawkins, whatever you want to call them.

Truthfully, I don't even really know why I went. Usually, I accompanied one of my best friends. We would spend hours "getting ready."
Primping our hair and perfecting our makeup.
It was fun.
But a part of me dreaded the "slow dances." Every guy from the class would ask one of the girls to dance..and the majority of the time..I watched from the  bleachers - a bench warmer.
Feeling, once again,  like the bottom of the barrel, completely and utterly "rejected."
There may as well have been some sort of stamp for my forehead. I felt as if there was an invisible scarlet letter attached to my person.

After high school, and upon entering college, the tides changed.
I felt like I was entering the world of new and fresh starts.
I found that guys really did think I was attractive. They had no inkling that I was "a bench warmer" in high school.
I relished the attention. I began to date, but even as I dated, I found that insecurities don't often disappear easily.
They tend to linger.

I went out with some really nice guys but never really found "the one."  A part of me was afraid of rejection. Another part, simply recognized that most men really aren't for me. Another part, didn't really feel like I was good enough for true and lasting love.

I'll skip my life story and get to the point.
I"ve endured a lot of rejection. Over the years, it has reared it's ugly head in ways too numerous to count.
Lies, cheating, criticism, rudeness, sarcasm, and oh, the list goes on.

During the past few months,
Rejection has reared her ugly head yet again.  I thought that these "feelings" would go away as I grew closer to Christ...
But feelings of rejection don't always just disappate. Lately, I have come to realize that I am, indeed, ultra sensitive at times. I think sometimes people don't even really mean to hurt me..but, when I am hurt, I still the girl sitting on the bench..watching everyone else dance..secretly wanting to cry her eyes out.

Sometimes, I feel the same pangs when my name is casually left off of an invitation. ..Or if there is a family gathering and no one calls to tell me about it.... Or if I spend the day alone...or if I call someone invite them somewhere and they kindly inform me that they have other plans.

I know that no harm is intended towards me. At least, in most cases, I don't think it is..
But I know that I still can be sensitive.

Last night, I started to think about Jesus and how He stood up for those that have faced rejection. I thought about how he stood up for the underdog.  I thought about how, when we are facing those feeling of rejection and despair, He is there for us because He understands it.  He was rejected.

He was spit on, cursed, ridiculed, mocked, whipped, and beaten down on a cross by people that He only wanted to love.

and even, while He was there...He still found the courage to speak grace into their lives..

"Father, forgive them..For they know not what they do."

One thing I started thinking about last night, in the midst of all my feelings of hurt, is the fact that, like Jesus, we have a choice as to what we can do with those feelings.

We can choose to live out our days in bitterness and anger ..or...we can choose to overcome. We can choose to rise above and shine like a light in the darkness.

I choose the latter.

So, I will take all of those feelings of rejection, both warranted and unwarrented, and reach out to others who have been rejected..

The purpose of this entire post isn't so that I can whine about my past rejections..but to hopefully help others who have felt the same hurts.

I think we have all felt rejected...by the rude teller at the bank, or the angry driver waving his fist, at the backstabbing friend or family member. We've felt it at the people who push past us in line...and then again, by those who curtly brush us off... We've felt it in snide comments. We have felt the pangs of rejection in every single lie that we have been told...We've felt it when people forget to say, "thank you."  or when our names are casually left off invitations.  Rejection is everywhere.

But, we have the choice to rise above it,,,to "overcome every evil with good."

I will soon be moving into a new place.
I have a front porch.
I"m decorating in a beach theme.
The other day I went out and bought a few mugs..They have a picture of a sailor's wheel and they say, "WELCOME ABOARD."

I want every single person to know that you have a place on my porch, and in my home. I have a badmitton set..a set of Jimmy Buffet style Christmas lights that are going to shine even in the dead of summer... I will serve the finest coffee...I will have a mat at the door that says, "Welcome."

You see, I have the choice to live out Jesus every single day. Even though I am occassionally being hammered down by people in this life, I can still show the same kind of Grace that Christ did as He was being nailed to a tree.

I invite you, over.
I would like to share a laugh and get to know something about you.
So remember, when times are tough and things are hard..when you are staring dead into the face of rejection...you always have a place with Christ..and there is always my front porch..

I have a picture of the ocean that I am hanging in the living room..and soon I hope to have a lime tree growing in the yard.

Come Visit!

" For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord..Plans not to harm you, but to prosper you..plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

"Set your eyes on things above and not on things below"

unseen world

So many things have happened these past few months. Life seems to fly by so quickly. Sometimes, I wish  there was a pause button or a slow down button.
It seems like the days are so short.. 

First, I wanted to say that I am now renting my own place. It's very very small. But I am very excited about it..especially fixing it up..I want to decorate in beach decor. So far, I've picked out an overpriced bananna chair from pier one. I keep going back and forth on paint colors. I can either paint it the color of sand and have colorful paintings and decor..or I can paint the color of the ocean and have more neutral furniture.. I realized that I am a perfectionist when it comes to furniture and color matching. You wouldn't guess it by the way that I dress..like I haven't a care in the world..but I think I get too involved in color schemes..

But that's not really the part is worth mentioning. There have been days when I  have prayed very sincerely to God about my living situation. I've been staying at my parents home since I separated. It has worked out fine and beautifully and all, only I'm 36 years old and there really isn't a lot of pride in that. Trust me, there is nothing wrong with it..except for the fact that I work 12 hour shifts and work and work and work and have little to call my own.

I'm not a hoarder. I don't care too much about things. Don't get me wrong, I love nice things, but my goal in life at this point is  to become comeletely debt free. I am almost there! 

Anyway, I sincerely prayed that God would give me a place to stay to call my own. Mostly for my boys and so I could have my own little nook..a place for people to feel welcome..

A few weeks later, my parents bought some land that housed a small abode and asked me if I wanted to rent from them..   Of course, I do!  The first thing I purchased was a hammock for the yard. Priorieties.

Even though the place is really small, I am very thankful that God heard my prayers. My parent's had no idea what I was praying for and I know they didn't realize how much I wanted a space for myself and my angels.

ok, so that is the first thing...

the second thing..

I know that I have posted about my experiences with the supernatural before.
For some reason, God has allowed me to see things and experience things that some people could never imagine. I have come to realize, through my experiences, that there is an unseen world...  The Bible even talks about it..

Lately, things have been coming against me in horrific ways. One day I'm going to jot down all of the things that I have experienced but most of them sound strange. It is literally like one of those horror films at times.
But I've learned, over time, not to fear the enemy. I've learned that there is a force greater than any demon or demons..and that is God and His son. I could write a book and maybe one day I will.  I'll give it away because all that I have gone through is true and real and people should know just how real these forces are.
Hell is real. Heaven is real.
I think if people really soaked that in..we would change the way we  think and act. We would pay closer attention to the words coming out of our mouth.
We would strive to get closer to God.
We would give more and love more and pray more.
We would forgive. Because we would realize that love covers a multidude of sins.
We would crave the opportunity to be a light to others because we would see that there is true Death in darkness. Don't get me started on that. I could speak for days of the hopeless vacuum it is to be in the prescence of the enemy. 

Ahh, God is real people.
Wake up.

Don't fall asleep..Now is the time for living and loving and sharing.. Now is the time for prayer and giving and seeking!

The enemy seeks to devour, and from what I've expereinced ..he is no weak force. The enemy is sly and crafty and cunning.. He is relentless.

Soon, I will tell more about the things that I've experienced. It's horrible,
But today, I am so glad that I know a real and living God...the hope and light of the world..

Greater than any oppresion and any demonic thing.

"Greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world."
"I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who gives me strength."


One more quick thought.. Last night, I was wondering if anyone out there considers me a religious zealot..whatever that means..
The truth is that I'm an ordinary girl who has been giving a wonderful opportunity to know a Man that is indeed, very real.
I am the type who is unfailing stubborn I like evidence of things...but for some strange reason, God has allowed me to see so much..and maybe it is simply to pass the info along..
I'm not sure..
But, I'm not a zealot.. just a regular girl who loves Jesus, knows Him, and wants to share HIm with others...
ok, that being said,
Love ya!

More storms and craziness

The other day I wrote a post about the last few crazy weeks....The week was filled with fevers, a baby falling off a bed, broken mercury themometers, rude words,  a near miss anaphalactic shock from allergies..(did I spell that right?) ...and the list goes on..

A few days ago, I simply had to laugh..
I was pulling into a parking lot and I guess I wasn't driving fast enough.  A man peeps his head out of the window and suddenly decides that I am a "mother f****r "
Keep in mind that I am toting my three year old in the backseat.
Then, as he passes me..He curves back around as if he is going to come back to "confront" me.
I guess I must have been pulling into that lot Reallllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyy slllllllllooooooooooooowwwwww.

Luckily, Dave was with me. He got out of the car and stared them down..They turned around, but I wonder what they would have done if I had been alone. Would someone really pick a fight with a mommy at a furniture store for driving too slow?
Really?

The day before I was in the parking lot of the grocery store..I paused and grimmaced as I heard two young men hurling insults at a lady across the parking lot.
Truthfully, I wasn't at all offended nor insulted at the man who thought I was a motherF....R...But, I was peeved at the classy gentlemen hurling insults at the lady at the supermarket..

I am forced to wonder what is happening to us?

I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to delve into the issues and I could spend days theorizing and explaining why I think society has downgraded..but I won't..

Tonight, I'm simply grateful to be alive.

I just finished watching "The Secret Life of Bees".. I fell in love with simpler times. Times when people spent time with one another..There was a scene in the movie where the girls have a fight with the waterhose. They were laughing. Suddenly, one of the girls begins to cry...Then Dakota Fanning takes her hand and just holds on to it so tightly.. It seems like we are missing that these days..Simply taking hold of someone's hand and holding on to it with all of the strength we have. So many of us don't realize that living out the gospel can be as simple as giving someone hope and love and taking thier hand in your own and giving them something wonderful to believe in. 
I know it's much more than that..It's mysterious and itricate and real, and yet so simple at the very same time. That's what I love about Jesus.
He is all of those things.

My heart is hurting for people tonight in the midst of all of their storms... So many people are going thru the worst of storms right now. Tonight, a dear friend and family member died. Mr. Joe Daigle.  I remember going to his house when I was younger. I could sense a very real and kind heart. I'm sad that he's gone and I'm even sadder that I didnt' go visit him more often.

My friend, JeriSue lost her brother to cancer today, and I'm sad for a woman I have never met who lost her son in a house fire.

Storms.

I am decorating my house in a beach theme. The other day I was looking at paintings and I came across one of the sand and the water. My favorite pictures have always been the ones of the storms.. Stormy seas. Waves and sky crashing against the moon.  I wonder why?
Maybe it is because in my heart of hearts I know the One who calms the storms.. The storms remind us that this earthly life shall one day pass and, when it does, there will be unspeakable serenity, peace, and calm.

The storms remind us that it is ok to grab someone's hand and hold onto it tightly. Hold on..

I once read on Stephanie's blog, Terribly Interesting, that God's precense is thick around the broken hearted. Even when they can't feel it..It is there.  There is so much pretense among us..so many trivial complaints about superficial things. But God's surrounds the broken. 

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit  - Psalm 34:18 ...

I love this verse.. It speaks of justice and mercy.

To all those crushed, I wish I could be there to hold your hand.  

XOXO,
Goodnight

Charlie's Dinosaurs

Tonight I read an news article that inspired me.  Remember the news story several years ago about missing mom, Susan Powell?  Her husband was a suspect in her disappearance. He took both of his boys "camping" on the night that she disappeared. The details were strange because he left for his "camping trip" at 2 am and the temps outside were freezing.
They never found her. The husband lost custody of the two children and on a day that they were scheduled to visit him, he set off some sort of bomb inside the house with the two boys inside.
Tonight, I read about a non profit organization started in their honor. Detectives were cleaning out the father's storage unit and came across of the boys drawings. It was a picture of a dinosaur and above it,written in red marker, was the name.."charlie..."

The detectives were emotionally involved in the case and heartbroken and touched upon finding the drawing..so they started a movement called, "Charlie's Dinosaurs.."

They want to make a difference in the lives of foster children by letting them know that there are people who care. They are gathering backbacks, toiletries, toys, clothes, and other items and giving them to children who need a sense of security and comfort. 

Having seen children in homeless shelters, this story really affected me.
I once read that small acts of love create tiny ripples..but they extend and, even though we only see a few ripples, they go and reach beyond what we can see.

I believe that if we aren't loving on someone who truly needs it, then we are missing the point of life entirely.  And truthfully, I can't think of anyone who needs love more than children in orphanages and foster homes..homeless shelters, juvenille centers..and the list goes on..

Is anyone out there up for a project? I know that I don't have to do flips and cartwheels to win God's approval..but I feel complete and whole when I spreading His love to someone else.

What if we did our own version of Charlie's Dinosaurs? A few weeks ago, I delivered some items to our local women's shelter. I had a few teddy bears in my car so I thought I would ask how many children lived there....at the time, there were four kids living in the shelter.  What if we started with four kids? Made little care packages for them...deliver them personally..maybe see if we can bring some face paint or ice cream...
We can tell them about the love of Jesus and bring them hope and smiles.

And then,  we can bring packages to the kids at the Harbor House or the Potter's House..another local homeless shelter..

Get the idea?

I don't want to bombard people to give or help out, but if God put's it on your heart, then message me.
It is hard and expensive to do these kinds of things alone.

Last week, I delivered 28 care packages to the local men's homeless shelter. It took me weeks to prepare the bags.  A very nice lady from our church, Mrs. Mary Monceaux, hand made hats for every single bag. It was lovely.
We both put a lot of work and effort into the project....

So if you are up for helping out on the next project, I would be happy to hear from you.

On another note,
I am very heavy hearted tonight. I was told the my Uncle's dad has stomach cancer. They are giving him a very short time. Please say some prayers for him and his family.
Also, there is a family that recently lost their son in a house fire.  One of my friends on facebook said that the lady who lost her son was her best friend.
If anyone would like to help out in that area, let me know and I can put you in touch with her.  They lost everything in the fire.
I can't even begin to imagine what they are facing.

Anyway, thanks for reading..

________

I just had an afterthought:

Tonight I heard a phrase.. One branch, alone, is weak..but many branches together, are strong.
There are strength in numbers.
It reminds me of the fact that we all play a unique role in body of Christ. We are meant to work together as a family. We are meant to be strong as a whole. Imagine if we all loved..together, in such a way that we didn't create ripples..
we made waves.
Let's make some waves.

The dangers of "picking"

Hello friends,
It's late and I'm tired, but this subject has been on my mind for a good part of the day, so I'm going to attempt to gather my sanity and write.
Delirium hasn't set in quite yet, so this post may still stand half a chance..

First, of all..this post isn't meant to target anyone in particular. I think at some point, we have all been guilty of "picking" on someone.. but I believe that it can be harmful and I"ll attempt to explain why..

"Picking" is really a nice term for bullying. We call it "picking" because it a sugar coated word that really means we were harassing someone and don't want to call it what it is..

It's time to put away the euphemism..
Picking is a form of bullying.
It is mean spirited..

As a child, I was "picked on" by my peers. Of course, they never got reprimanded because they could innocently claim.. "oh, I was just kidding.."  haha...
Only I wasn't laughing.

Even as an adult, I felt picked on. I know that it was intended to be innocent, but I'll be honest.. People's jokes, joshing, kidding, picking..whatever you disguise it as...
Well, it hurt.
I was taunted because I wasn't married. I was called an "old maid." I was teased because it was taking me "too long to finish school." I was a "lifetime student."

Truthfully, It was people's way of saying... We aren't happy with you. It was negative talk, and the only thing it really did was rip my self esteem in half.

But who am I?
I used to pick too.

But I truly feel that "picking"  is not Godly.  God says our words should be as honey. God tells us to encourage on another. To build each other.  To lift up....

Pickers..often refer to the term "thick skin.."
They say.. "We are only joking..You need thick skin."
The truth is..some of us just don't have this fabled "thick skin"
Some of us are born sensitive, and the same way a leopard can't change it's spots...
I and most others are utterly and entirely unable to sprout this invisible layer of kevlar dermis...  Growing thick skin is a way of saying...Sure, bully me all you want... I am invinsible. I am Charlie Sheen. I have Adonis DNA.
We all know that thick skin and Adonis DNA don't exist.

Picking, however innocently, can have far reaching consequences.  IN last night's post, I mentioned how the kids who shot up Columbine were "picked on."
And then there are the children who kill themselves over "picking."

We recently lost a young girl in our community over bullying...I"m sure the kids who subjected this girl to mental torture went home to tell their parents..

"we were just picking"

I'm writing about this subject because I feel passionate about it.
I have a highly sensitive eleven year old boy at home. He grew up without a father. He doesn't have  "thick skin."
He's not perfect.
He needs a lot of love. A lot of encouragement. And a lot of building up..
He needs to be reminded of the things that are good about him..

I once read that we should think before we speak. One day we will be judged by every word that comes out of our mouths.  That's a lot to think about..but yet, there it is ..smack dab in the middle of the new testament.
I wonder if God will laugh right along with our taunts... "But God, I didn't know she was going to commit suicide..I was only "picking.."

The Bible says that one who causes a little one to lose faith... "it is better for him to have a millstone tied around his neck and tossed into the bottom of the ocean.."

I once lost a lot of faith in people and in God...all over picking..
and I vow to do my best not to do it again.

Let's build up, instead..

Once again, this is not targeted to anyone in particular.. just something I felt I should write about.
Love ya ..