12/29/2023
Today Doesn’t Have To Be A Bad DayOf all the gifts we will receive this season, the gift of time is one that God gives all of us equally. 24 hours in a day, no matter who you are.
When I was young and December came around, it felt like the weeks would just drag by. I couldn’t wait for Christmas vacation. I couldn’t wait for Christmas. Yet time seemed to be at a standstill to my little heart. And then suddenly, time became fleeting. Each year went faster than the last. I barely caught my breath after Thanksgiving and it was Christmas. I wanted time to slow down. I wanted to savor the beauty of the season, and yet even as I write, the season has come to an end. Christmas has come and gone. The gift of time is unique to everyone. Some want it to slow down. Some want it to go faster. Some of us want more. The beauty in such a gift is that it is made for everyone, yet specific to each individual. We decide how we view it, and what we do with it. Last summer, a precious friend’s husband had been diagnosed with an illness and given only 3 years to live. I asked how she managed to still have joy, despite such a cloud hanging over her. She told me that she was focusing on each day and living it to the fullest. One day at a time. Some of us long for the “good old days”, not realizing that today could be our very best day. Some of us fear the old fable~ Father Time, not realizing that our Heavenly Father holds time in the palm of His hand. In both cases we are so focused on the past, or the future, that we miss the “right now”. How can we live life to the fullest every day? In the heartbreaking, in the unknown, in the mundane? Despite that diagnosis, financial despair, loss or loneliness? Not by packing it full of things to do. Not by grand gestures or material gains, but by sitting in the stillness with Jesus. While I sit with Him, my life becomes like a snow globe. A snow globe in the palm of God’s hand. It’s contained, and yet it is moving, and I get to view all its beauty floating around me. Too often I find myself looking for happiness in things, and people, and activities. I end up watching the days and moments fly by, because I’m grasping at the big, while missing all the small. Stopping to “smell the roses”. Laughing, and then laughing some more. Singing at the top of our lungs. Telling our loved ones how very much we love them, and just how incredible they are. Noticing all the blessings all around, in the every day. Playing in the snow, or squishing our toes in the sand. Staring at the stars, and feeling the presence and the awe of our God. Holding His words in our hands, and realizing they are everything. Telling everyone we can about the hope and joy that lives inside us. Looking up in the stillness with Jesus, and noticing all the snowflakes of blessings falling down upon us. Before 2023 ends, determine in your heart to live every day of 2024 to the fullest. Pack every minute of every 24 hours God gives you full of His goodness and glory. You determine your time and what you make of it. God gives it equally to us all. You can decide that today is going to be a good day. Don’t focus on the bad, shake up that snow globe and focus on all the good. Focus on God. Use the time He gives you to thank Him for all that goodness. For every gift of the present. One day at a time. SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 31:15 Psalm 90 Colossians 4:5 James 4:14 Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
11/17/2023
Time FliesHow can it be Thanksgiving already?
The nostalgia of the season has come upon me. I’m missing my loved ones. My grandparents, my parents, my best friend~ all gone on to heaven. I’m missing family gatherings full of aunts and uncles and cousins. I’m missing my children being tiny little beings full of giggles, and cuddles, and adoration. I’m missing the past. The music, the decorations, the food and the memories. When I was younger I was often told that time is fleeting. I didn’t really grasp the weight of those words, but as each year passes, that weight gets heavier and heavier. With the beautiful falling leaves painting the barren earth, this truth hits me even harder. I watch each colorful leaf dance in the wind…and then blow away, and I think about the years of my life doing the same. Like a vapor. The wind takes the years. I try to grasp at them and hold them tighter. I don’t want to let them go. I don’t want to see my grandsons turn into little men so quickly, or my granddaughters into young women. I am selfish. I want them to stay their tiny selves just a little bit longer. My children grew up too quickly. And now my grandchildren are doing the same. I remember last year, and the year before that… I had purposed in my heart to savor every minute. To slow down and enjoy the time with my children and their children. And I did. I stopped the busy. I stopped putting my housework, my schedule and my to do’s before family. I dropped everything at a moment’s notice to spend more time with the most important people in my life. I cherished every single minute. And yet, it did not make time slow down. Time was caught up in the wind. It danced and it was beautiful, and then it was gone. And so, I am that grandma talking about time fleeting to my children. Telling my daughters to cherish every minute. To look into the eyes of their children and soak it in. To burn that moment onto her heart, because that moment will never come again. It will dance and be beautiful, and then~ it will become a memory. I’ll be honest, as I pondered these thoughts this morning, I was saddened. My eyes filled with tears. I’m sure my mom passing away at only 63 plays a part in that. I am only 5 years from that very age. And so, as I often do, I cried to Jesus. I shared my heart. And as I opened His word I told Him how incredibly thankful I was for this beautiful life He has given me…”But oh Jesus, it’s going by too fast. It’s disappearing before my eyes!” And my heart didn’t feel as thankful. It felt heavy. It will be Thanksgiving and then Christmas and then a New Year, and time will dance away from me like the beautiful leaves outside. And just like He always does, Jesus gave me a word from His word. “For my days are consumed like smoke, And my bones are burned as an hearth. My days are like a shadow that declineth; And I am withered like grass. But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; And thy remembrance unto all generations. This shall be written for the generation to come: And the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: And the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, And their seed shall be established before thee.” Psalm 102:3, 11-12, 18, 25-28 “Like as a father pitieth his children, So the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; And the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, And to those that remember his commandments to do them. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, That do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: Bless the LORD, O my soul.” Psalm 103:13-22 The words leapt off the page. In that moment, the knowledge of God’s love for me transcended any words I might have had to try to convey the feelings of my heart. God knew exactly what I needed before I ever opened my Bible. And He told me~ My Jesus is eternal. He does not leave. He remains beautiful. Always present. Always with me. Life may change daily, fleeting and only leaving me memories, but my Jesus will never become just a memory, because my Jesus never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. My constant. My joy. My truth. My life. And as I strive to glorify Him in all I do, as I strive to live that life in front of my children and grandchildren, teaching them to make Him their everything~ He promises me that my children and my children’s children will be established and His mercy and righteousness will be upon them. And my heart is overwhelmed with thanksgiving. It feels as if it could burst for the joy He has given me. The weight of the words that felt so heavy just a few moments before, now gave me promise. Yes, time is fleeting but Christ is my firm foundation. My cornerstone. A foundation that will never be moved. He is my forever. The joy He brings will never, ever, ever leave. It will dance and be beautiful. And it will remain. For me, for my children, and for my children’s children. Thank you Jesus. Happy Thanksgiving dear friends! SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 126:2-3, 5-6 Hebrews 13:8 1 Corinthians 3:11 Hebrews 11:10 2 Timothy 2:19 1 Peter 2:6 Ephesians 2:18, 20 1 Corinthians 2:9
6/9/2023
What Are You Proud Of?What are you proud of?
I’m not going to beat around the bush here, we all know what this month has been labeled, so again I ask~ What are YOU proud of? I realize there is a fine line when it comes to pride in scripture. God hates pride when it’s directed toward self and we become our own center of worship.The pride I’m talking about today is a different type of boasting. How is it that you can tell when someone is proud? Proud people talk about the things that they are proud of. Often. We find it easy to talk about our favorite sports teams, our political views, our children and grandchildren, our spouses and even ourselves. We find camaraderie with those who pride themselves in similar things. Our voices become louder and louder when we are around others who share in that pride. So I want to ask you again, what are you proud of? Because others are watching. Does your pride come through in your praises, or in your opinions? Your pride reveals itself in the words that you speak. Your children hear it, your family hears it. Your friends and coworkers, your neighbors, even strangers hear it. What story is your pride telling? I am afraid that too often it’s a sad and angry story full of complaints and woes, and not a story of hope and redemption. Please don’t get me wrong~ it’s incredibly important to stand for what is right. To teach our families truths based on God’s word and to stand up for that truth. But do others know why we believe these things? What is the point of our stand? To prove we are right, or to praise our God and give Him the glory? Are we so focused on proving others are wrong that we’re missing the whole point of the gospel? We can become so focused on what we believe is evil that we miss out on opportunities to share all that is good and righteous and beautiful. The very person of Jesus our Savior and Redeemer. Our hope for the hopeless. Our amazing God. Our lives should revolve around Him and His goodness. Our praises and pride should be for Him and His gift of salvation. He took our place on the cross. He died for the wickedness of this world~ and my friend, that includes you and that includes me. No one is excluded. For all have sinned. If we don’t teach the next generation why we believe what we believe, if we don’t boast on the incredible love of our Savior and the gift of salvation that we did not deserve, our opinions and viewpoints will become just that. Opinions. Viewpoints. Voices becoming louder and louder. And the next generation will grow up believing that it is “us against the world” instead of~ “God so loved the world.” So today I want to tell you what I am proud of. I am proud of my God. I am proud of my Savior. I am proud of the love and mercy and grace He shows me on a daily basis, all of which I do not deserve. Love that isn’t based on my performance, mercy that doesn’t stop as soon as I mess up again, but love and mercy that endure FOREVER. I am proud of what the rainbow truly represents. The rainbow HE created as an everlasting promise to us. A rainbow that surrounds the very throne of it’s Creator. I am proud of His word and His promises, promises that hold peace that passes understanding. I am proud to call God my Provider and Redeemer, my Father and my very best Friend. I am proud to say that He is my everything. I would be nothing without Him. I am proud of Jesus. Name above all names. I want to share God’s truth and stand firm on my beliefs, beliefs that are rooted and grounded in scripture; but more than anything I want to make HIM known. That’s what I want the next generation to remember. Not me. Not my opinions. Jesus. God is our everything. Let’s brag differently. What are you proud of today? Psalm 89:1-2, 5-9, 11, 13-18 Psalm 136, 148, 150 I Peter 3:15-18, Hebrews 12:14 Revelation 4:3, Ezekiel 1:28 I’m not sure what sparked the thought, but the other day it hit me that I may not be here to see my grandchildren get married and have children of their own. A sadness swept over me. My love for them is so strong. I have this immense desire to protect them and pray for them and be a part of their moments, good and bad. To rejoice with them and cheer them on. But this may not be my reality, and my emotions got the best of me. It’s probably silly, but the tears came.
I know Mother’s Day is past and the celebrations are over, but this mom and grandma still has so much on her heart to share. I probably always will. As I was reading all the celebratory quotes, one stuck with me and I’ve been pondering it ever since~ “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” Wow! That stopped me in my tracks. So mama, what message are we sending to the future? This thought went deep for me. There are just SO MANY!! To be honest, I wanted to be lazy and write a fluff piece for today but God gave me a nudge, just like He always does. It’s crazy how often I will read the daily devotional sent to my inbox and somehow my Scripture app just “happens” to be on the exact same Bible chapter that day. Today was such a case and as I worried about my children and my grandchildren’s futures, God literally spoke to me through His words. Words I would like to share with you today. I hope they encourage you like they did me. Psalms 90-94. Psalm 90:1&2~ Continually remind yourself that GOD is our dwelling place. Not this world, not our homes~ but God. He has been from generation to generation and know matter what the future holds, He will be from everlasting to everlasting. Psalm 90:12-17~ With this in mind, let these words be our prayer as we look to the future of our children and grandchildren~ God: *TEACH us to number our days and in the doing, gain wisdom. (Each day is another opportunity to mold our children and grandchildren. Don’t take it for granted and don’t squander it.) 90:12 *SATISFY us with your STEADFAST (loyal, unwavering) love. (This is the heartbeat of our joy and gladness.) 90:14 *MAKE us glad ALL our days. (Not just the good days, but the bad days too. Our emotions teach our children just as much as our words.) 90:15 *OPEN our eyes to see your works and show your power to our children. (We take so much for granted. God is continually blessing us and we need eyes to see and in turn, share that with the next generation.) 90:16 *ESTABLISH the work of our hands. (This should be our daily prayer. When God is the author of every single thing we do, He is glorified and His love shines from us to others. Our children will carry this prayer with them into the future, by witnessing it in our lives on a daily basis.) 90:17 Psalm 91:1-16~ *When we dwell in God’s presence we are protected under His shadow. He is our refuge and fortress and we can trust Him with everything. 91:1-2 In the trusting we will not fear the present or the future of our children and grandchildren, because we made God our dwelling place and held fast to Him in love. He will protect, rescue and satisfy us. No matter where we are, no matter where our children are, there is so much comfort in knowing that when we have God, we are always home. 91:3-16 Psalm 93:1-2~ And when we realize ALL of this, we will give thanks to God. We will sing praises. We will talk about His steadfast love and faithfulness morning and evening because we will realize He alone makes us glad and joyful and He alone (not us) will make our children and grandchildren glad and joyful. Psalm 93:3-5, 94:14&15~ As the floods of this present world roar against us and we fear the future for our children and grandchildren, we can KNOW that God is mightier and that **“The things that we’re afraid of are afraid of God!” We can trust Him. He will never forsake us or abandon us. Psalm 94:17-19~ If we didn’t have these promises we would be utterly distraught, but we have an entire book of God’s promises to cling to. His steadfast love holds us up. When the cares of our heart and the worries for our children’s futures are many, God’s consolations will cheer us. When we are no longer on this earth to cheer our children and grandchildren on, His consolations will continue to do so. Psalm 94:22~ He is our rock. He is our stronghold and He will forever be our children and our children’s children’s rock and stronghold. From everlasting to everlasting. I know this was long, and if you stuck with me to the end I hope it encouraged you. Sometimes mamas just need a reminder that ultimately we are not the ones to determine the happiness in our children’s future. We want to be their rock and fortress, we want to bring them joy and happiness and we can, but our love could never compare to the steadfast love God has for them and the best way to show them that is by example. An example we will leave with them long after we’re gone. **The Things That I’m Afraid Of Josh Wilson
12/23/2022
Silent NightLast week I wrote about missing my yesterdays…
Let me tell you about my today. I ponder this day as I reflect on Christmases past. Christmas Eves full of excitement. Trying to get children to sleep so that presents would appear under the tree the next morning. Late nights and early mornings every year. Joyful laughter filling every corner of the house. Of my home. But tonight. As parents around the world relate to this happy noise Christmas Eve brings, others are experiencing a silent night. The kids are grown and the house remains quiet. I couldn’t help but ponder the moment Jesus was born as I thought on this. God’s silent night. The earth’s Holy night. Jesus left His Father. Despite knowing the incredible sacrifice, sadness did not engulf His Father’s silent night, for the inexplicable love that God had for us took all sadness away. With joy unspeakable, His Son left the happiness of home and heaven. In the gift of Himself, He took away all silence and replaced it with a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God. He gave us glory and hope. He gave us Himself. Always with us. Never alone again. My kids might not be under my roof anymore. My home may be silent, but my heart can be full. Your heart can be full. On this night, that excitement that was once a part of my home lives on. It lives in my children as they share hope with a world that can sometimes feel hopeless. As they sing praises to God on this Holy night. As they share the good news of God’s gift with strangers and friends, loved ones and children. It lives in my grandchildren as their parents try to get them to sleep and then a few short hours later, in the laughter coming down stairs of expectation and joy. Tonight is not silent. Tonight is Holy. God came down. He came down to give us expectation and joy. Forgiveness and hope. From the star that led the way, to the cry of a newborn~every moment of this night leads us back to our Father. And oh that our hearts would pierce that silence with our songs of deliverance. Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace goodwill toward man!! Scripture Reading: Daniel 12:3 Luke 2
11/25/2022
Give Your Parents A GiftI want everyone to stop telling me to be thankful. I’m tired of reading it in devotionals, of hearing it in messages, of seeing quotes about it plastered all over social media.
I. DON’T. WANT. TO. BE. THANKFUL! …Although I do not feel it this year, I have uttered those same thoughts during Thanksgivings of the past. Right around this time, heartache has hit home for me twice in the loss of both my parents. The despair was still raw. I was not angry at God, but in those moments I can honestly say~I wasn’t thankful either. This past week I have heard some heavy hearts pour out that same ache to me over various situations in their lives. Thanksgiving does not feel thankful. One ache that has manifested itself often this holiday is that of a child who chooses to make the time for everyone else in their life except their mama. The saddest part of that to me is the fact that the mothers are going through deep despair of their own. And yet, not a call, not a visit, not a hug, not a “How are you doing mom? Are you okay?” Nothing. And it breaks my heart. I was incredibly blessed to have a childhood many only dream of. We weren’t rich, but my parents made sure we knew how deeply we were loved. As the years went by, my relationship with my mom wasn’t always the best. I felt so justified in many of the angry moments I had toward her and her unrealistic expectations, but the older I get and the harder life becomes at times, the more I understand. She was hurting and I didn’t really get that. I don’t think children ever really do until they’re putting those shoes on themselves. Mom is always mom. If the whole family is sick and she’s sick too, it doesn’t matter. She doesn’t get a day off. She takes care of everyone else. And for the rest of her life, that’s her role. Taking care of everyone else. Too often children forget that she’s hurting too. That she needs to be taken care of. That she needs someone to say, “Are you ok mom?” Despite the disagreements, I would give anything to have my mom today. To hold her. To tell her how much I love her. To apologize for being selfish and not calling enough. To show her I understand now. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for so many things. Blessings beyond measure. And I’m thankful for my mom and dad. I hope they always knew that. If they were alive today, I’d make sure I told them again and again. Whatever your family dynamic is, pick up that phone and call your parents. Go visit them. Ask them how they’re doing. Tell them how much you love them. Try to see life from their eyes and how hard it can be at times. Ask God to show you their perspective before it’s too late. Both years I lost my parents I faced the toughest Thanksgivings ever. Mom passed in November and dad in October. That’s an ache that no one understands unless you’ve gone through it yourself. I know of sweet mamas going through cancer treatments, sweet moms who lost their husbands recently, sweet moms who are all alone week after week after week. Sweet moms who haven’t heard from their children. I’m not going to tell you all the reasons you should be grateful this Thanksgiving. I know God tells us “In everything give thanks”, but I also understand heartache. I will forever cling to the knowledge that Jesus wept. What a comfort~God understands too. Instead, I’m going to remind you that when you are hurting, your mom is hurting. Sometimes, SO much more. You have an opportunity today to give your parents a gift. This Thanksgiving weekend, call your mom. Call your dad. Give your parents the gift of Thanksgiving. Oh if you only knew how much of a difference it would make in their lives and how much it would touch their hearts. You might not understand today but, one day you will and you will wish for today again. Make sure it’s a memory you’re grateful for and not one you will regret. Scripture Reading: I Timothy 5:4 Exodus 20:12 Deuteronomy 5:16 Proverbs 1:8 Psalm 133:1 Proverbs 10:1 Proverbs 23:22,25 I Corinthians 13:4-8,13 Luke 6:32 I Peter 4:8
10/28/2022
What Love Looks LikeCan you take out the trash? Can you go to the store? Can you fix the sink? Can you put gas in the car? Can you rub my back? Can you read my mind,
know why I’m in a bad mood without me telling you, be romantic and meet my every need~ while also allowing me to take out every frustration on you? Christmas movies are coming back in full swing. I’ve seen the commercials. I’ve heard the comments. “Same story, different town”. This week I reflected on my own Christmas movie moment 38 years ago. All the mushy feelings portrayed in those commercials, I was feeling that Christmas. And then I thought about today… Each person’s love story is unique to them, but I think the one thing most of us can agree on is that it started out just like everyone else’s. Falling madly in love. Despite the pressures and responsibilities, despite all the stress life could throw at you, you fell in love. You thought about that person constantly. You made time for each other and life seemed to melt away when you were together. Today, 38 years later I realize too often that when life throws the “bad” at me, I take it out on my husband. I either want him to fix it, or I want to rehash all my frustrations without him giving me a practical solution. I just want to whine. And through it all I’m yelling “I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at the situation!!!” This can be very confusing for the poor guy. Sure seems like I’m mad at the world, husband included. I find that I look to him as a resource instead of a relationship. I take his love for granted. I reread one of my own posts this week that asked the question~ “Are you treating your connection to God like a resource instead of a relationship?” When I first posted it, I honestly thought~ Nope! Not me! So God did something a little different to open my eyes. He showed me all the ways I treat my connection to my husband like a resource instead of a relationship. Once He did that, I realized I was doing the same things with God. My mutterings are too often “Please, please, please” and not enough “thank you” or even just sitting still in His presence and loving just being with my Savior. Too often I want happiness, peace, comfort, love and answers to all my prayers~ instead of just God. I take His love for granted. Here is the great takeaway though~ God actually WANTS to do all those things for us because THAT’S WHAT LOVE LOOKS LIKE. And then I thought of all the things I’m constantly asking of Mike and without complaint, he does them. Because that’s what love looks like. And so, I determined to refocus on my relationship with my husband and with my Savior. I want to pour my heart and soul into those relationships. I want to remember all those feelings I had for Mike 38 years ago when life never got in the way. There is nothing wrong with asking God to help us love more. To love our spouses more, to love God more. The very first fruit of His Spirit is love. So, this morning before I got out of bed I asked God to show me that love in Who He is. To help me not to just go to Him for “all the things”, but to have a real relationship with Him. I opened my bedroom curtains to a breathtaking sunrise. It painted the entire sky with it’s beauty. It made me realize that God is ALWAYS showing me that love in Who He is, I’m just too busy with Charisse to notice. We should be one with our spouses, just as we should be one with God. He is in us and for us. He holds our hands and loves us through everything. As the years pass, let’s not all end up with “same story, different town” in our relationships. Let’s not be so busy focusing on ourselves that we fail to notice the many ways our spouses show us they love us on a daily basis. Let’s bring on the romance when we’re in our 80’s. Let’s love on our spouses just because. Let’s remember all those mushy feelings we had. And let’s not allow our relationship with God to become a resource only. Let’s think on Him constantly. Let’s allow life to melt away when we’re in His presence, let’s notice the many ways God shows us His love on a daily basis. It’s evident in every single thing your eye can behold. A love so great that all the books in the world could not contain the countless ways He loves us. Let’s sit at His feet and adore Him. Because that’s what love looks like. Scripture Reading: Luke 17:12-19, John 21:25, Romans 1:20-21, Psalm 19:1-2, Matthew 22:37-40 *Thats the view from my bedroom window ❤️
10/14/2022
I Am A WomanWhat is a woman?
I am a woman. When I was a little girl, I never would have imagined that the use of that phrase could possibly cause controversy. I am a woman. I am incredibly thankful I am a woman. Not because I am better than a man. Not because I want to shove that sentence in someone’s face. I am thankful because that is who God made me to be~ and I embrace it. Through various movements of the last century, women have been inundated with two requisites. The first~Women are powerful. The second~Just being a woman isn’t enough. We need to “be more” and “do more” so that we can prove we “are more”. The world is constantly screaming “more” in the face of femininity. The concept contradicts itself. I have nothing to prove. I am a woman. Femininity has gone through all the stages. From the genuine love of being a homemaker to~ “I am equal to and even better than man”, to “there is no such thing as a woman”. Wives, mothers and homemakers have been made to feel less than, looked down upon and even ignorant. Definitely not powerful. This morning as I prayed, my own mother came to mind. I pictured her doing “all the things”. Her arm halfway in a turkey on Thanksgiving morning. The ironing board out every Tuesday and the vacuum and mop every Friday. The home cooked meals, the date nights with my dad, the stories read to me before I went to bed each night. She loved every minute of it. I loved every minute of it. And I wept. Not because my mom was weak, brainwashed by society at the time, or even ignorant~ But because my mom was powerful. She gave me the precious gift of a childhood that kids only dream of. She instilled in me a deep gratitude and love of everyday life, the feeling of comfort, security and love. The desire to pass that on to everyone I meet. She had an impact on my life in a thousand different ways. An impact that enables me to say today~ I am blessed to be a woman. I am blessed to be a wife. I am blessed to be a mother. Over and over in scripture God gives us examples of powerful women. Today I read about two. One was a judge. One was a housewife. God used BOTH for His glory. His power was evident in the soft hand of a woman. Woman and man. Male and female. I am a woman. Any earthly accomplishments or possessions I have at the end of this life will only be wood hay and stubble. I cannot take my accomplishments and possessions with me when I die. But oh the power in spreading light through darkness, kindness instead of hatred, finding joy in every moment, loving your husband and raising little souls for God’s kingdom. Little souls that will impact the world for a future we may never see. Souls that can share the light of Jesus. A light that this dark world desperately needs. There is power in that. It doesn’t come from the reserve of an accomplished female who checks off all the boxes this world deems necessary to claim the pronoun “she” today. The power comes from Christ within us. And with that power we can change the world. I am a woman. If I choose, I will dance around the house in my skirts and high heels. I will cook meals and bake goodies with my grandchildren. I will clean my home and be thankful for the million little things God blesses me with on a daily basis. I will love on my husband. I will minister to other women, write blog posts, share God’s word, comfort and love in only a way a woman can do. I will be powerful and I will pass that power of Christ on to the next generation. I will embrace womanhood and shout it from the rooftops, with absolutely no shame. I don’t have to choose my pronoun because God has chosen it for me from the beginning of time. I am a woman, And I praise God for it. SCRIPTURE READING: John 15:16 Jeremiah 1:5 Romans 8:4 Psalms 139:13-18 Judges 4
8/26/2022
All That StuffI have a hard time getting rid of things. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a hoarder.
I have a very easy time throwing things away, a little too easy… 😂😂 Organizing and purging is a great past time of mine, but I’m also very sentimental. Today, one of my baskets caught my eye. There’s really nothing special about it, in fact it doesn’t even go with my decor anymore. But when I looked at that basket, a memory rushed through me. A memory of antique shopping with my mom and dad. My dad bought me that basket and in that split second I was transported to that time, as if I was watching a scene from a film of my life. I was able to relive that moment with my dad and it made me smile. I probably wouldn’t have thought about that specific moment in time if I didn’t have that basket. Things of no significance to others can spark magic in our hearts by striking the memory of a beautiful moment. There are times that I will be antiquing with my daughter and she will find something that brings her right back to her childhood and moments she shared with my mom. And her heart longs to own that piece that struck that memory. Quite often we are admonished as Christian’s to not care so much about stuff. About things. Because they’re only things. We can’t take them with us when we die. But I see so much more when I look at things. I can’t take them with me, but I can create happiness all around them that I will leave for my children and grandchildren. Happy moments they will remember and talk about. Memories that will make them smile. Just by looking at one thing. I don’t think God ever intended our lives to be stark and void of beauty. He intended our souls to be flooded with joy and happiness because that joy and happiness glorifies Him. All you have to do is look around you to realize this. There is so much beauty God has given us that we take for granted. He didn’t have to create such beauty in a sunset or a field of flowers. Such awe in a starlit sky or the sand upon the seashore, the green pastures and the still waters, the lilies and the sparrows, the secret place of thunder and the little hills that rejoice on every side. (Psalm 23, Luke 12:27, Matthew 10:29-31, Psalm 81:7, Psalm 65:12) When we recall these things in our mind’s eye, why do we smile? What purpose is in their beauty? Because God delights in joy. God delights in us and through that joy, He is glorified. (Proverbs 8:30-31, 11:20b, Psalm 18:19) His beautiful creation screams His majesty to the entire world and we are in awe. (Psalm 19:1, 104) Just as I am in awe of the simple basket at my feet. A basket that holds a precious memory beautifully wrapped inside. A gift from God that belongs exclusively to me. What a wonder to think upon. They may be wood hay and stubble but don’t feel shame for the joy these sentiments bring. Instead recognize that these tiny treasures of joy are gifts from God. We aren’t meant to worship the gift, but the Giver. I still have my mom’s old roaster, her big old frying pan, her Christmas dishes and candy jars. I have my dad’s glasses, the ones I helped him pick out just before he passed away. It makes me smile to think of how “spiffy” he felt in them. I cherish each one of these things, and so many more because when I look at them I am flooded with a thankful heart for the memories of happiness they evoke. They aren’t just stuff. They are beauty to me. They are gifts from God. They are treasures from heaven. Just as His creation, I will always find myself praising Him when I think on them. Find yourself praising God on a daily basis. Find your own basket and fill it with joy until it is overflowing. The more we recognize God’s amazing gifts all around us, the more we glorify Him and lay up treasures in heaven. Those things and those memories? When I think on them, I weep with the knowledge of how much God loves me. Moth and rust can never take that knowledge or those memories away. They are beautiful gifts from God that exemplify the meaning of glorifying through gratefulness. Gifts that we can leave for generations to come. I looked at that beautiful white picket fence. It was like something from a storybook. The kind of book that always says “Happily Ever After” at the end.
As I watched him put his little car away, I gazed down the road to where my house was. He smiled at me and waved. And the words to this song played in my head~ “Do you ever get the feeling that there’s something greater happening here? It’s like our hearts are a part of a bigger story…” Was this real? My grandsons sharing their moments in between the white picket fence and my heart. All right down the road from me. I looked over my shoulder as the sun set. I looked at the place my daddy had called home. I smiled because I knew that my son and his wife were making memories there now. I heard my youngest daughter’s laughter as she walked home with her husband. I thought of my granddaughters playing with their new puppy just across the creek. All on my block. All my children and grandchildren. All right down the road from my home. And my heart was so full. And the words to that song played in my head~ “Do you ever get the feeling that there’s something greater happening here? It’s like our hearts are a part of a bigger story?…” Every single day. This story God wrote for me. It’s beautiful. I know I might not live to see the end. I might not be here when my grandsons grow up and get married. I might not be here when my granddaughters have their own children~ when my children become grandparents. But I know my heart is a part of this big story and I am going to cherish every single second of it while God allows. Because it’s beautiful. Our lives are beautiful. Too often we don’t even realize until we are at the end of our story. There’s beauty all around us. Beauty we can easily miss if our eyes tend to focus on the bad. Every moment, every second you are a part of a bigger story. God is using you to write it. Days flow into each other. Faster and faster. The pages keep turning. We are always anxious for the next chapter. We worry that the ending won’t be a “Happily Ever After”, so we strive to make sure it is. In that constant rush we miss all the good parts. That one chapter that changed the entire narrative. That paragraph that touched our heart. That word that held the meaning of a thousand words in one. Your story. Linger longer. Stay on that page and read it again. Hold it close. Because time and moments and memories will change with each chapter and if you aren’t absorbing the words~ you will miss it. And you will wish you could go back to the beginning and read it again. Slower. Soaking in every beautiful second. But you can’t. We can’t. “Do you ever get the feeling that’s there’s something greater happening here? Its like our hearts are a part of a bigger story…” I stood there and allowed the soft twilight to wash over me. I lingered and soaked in his smile and wave. This moment would not come again. His smile is that one word that holds a thousand words. Tomorrow was a new chapter. And my heart is full, because I know~ My heart is a part of a bigger story.
5/20/2022
Live, Love, Laugh, Leave Me AloneHave you ever had one of those weeks or months or maybe even years? Whether it’s small stuff that continually goes wrong in a 24 hour time frame, or horrific stuff that leaves a cloud of despair hanging heavily over your head~the circumstances suck all the joy and laughter from your life. It’s times like this that you begin to feel utterly alone, and sometimes even a little afraid that you won’t ever laugh again.
My daughter in law sent me a snap chat the other week with the title of this post. We laughed, but there was a certain heaviness to it. And that’s what prompted my topic for my ladies banquet, as well as this post~ Live, Love, Laugh, Leave Me Alone. Learning To Surrender Control to God and Truly Enjoy Life. After much prayer, I decided to share it with you all. My heart is burdened to help you laugh again. My heart is burdened for you to know the lasting happiness that produces that laughter, genuine laughter~ you know…the kind that makes you cry or pee your pants a little. 😉 Good old fashioned joy. I’m going to break this series down into five topics: Live For today Let Things Go Learn to Trust in God’s Power Love God and Allow Him to Love You Laugh This week we will focus on LIVE (For Today) and in the weeks to come I hope to share 4 more areas that will help you to laugh again. LIVE FOR TODAY This isn’t something we usually hear. Normally we are told to live with eternity in mind, and we definitely should, but God also tells us to find joy in the day to day and not to fret about, or fear our future. Quite often, we have no control over our futures. We might think we do, but every moment of every day is an uncertainty. There are no guarantees. Every thought we have, every action or reaction we choose, every breath we breathe, every moment spent with God and with loved ones could be our last. We could have the perfect plan for our lives, but when we try to control every aspect of that plan and cling to it tightly in our fists, any time something goes wrong~ our joy and laughter will slowly be sucked from our souls. But, when we surrender each day to God and give Him control of our days, we know that whatever happens tomorrow or the next day or even the next year, is for our good~no matter how hard the circumstances might be. “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34 “Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.” Psalm 96:2 It really seems too simple, especially if life kicks you when you’re down. The little things that get to us in a 24 hour time frame can easily be given over to the Lord, and we can lay in bed at night with the full assurance that tomorrow is another day. The times it is most difficult is when the hard hits. The diagnosis, the failed marriage, the job loss, the wayward child, the death. Those are the times we want to scream at the world~ “LEAVE ME ALONE!”Those are the times that joy and laughter seem impossible. My sweet friend, with Jesus, nothing is impossible. “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27 “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37 (It’s pretty clear God wanted us to get this point) When you have fallen to the ground with no fight left in you, He is laying right there on the ground next to you, holding your hand. He is whispering to your soul that He will pick you up when you are ready. He doesn’t rush you. He simply wraps you in His comfort. Joy will come again in the morning, even if He has to lay with you there all night long. He will never leave you. The joy of the Lord is your strength. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5 “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5 “For the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee….He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee…” Deuteronomy 31:6,8 “The Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9 “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.: Isaiah 41:13 “…Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 Rejoice means to feel joy or great delight. It also means to give joy to. Here are some ways to feel joy and delight in today: Find something to be thankful for~ every single day. Give God glory and praise~ every single day. Uplift someone else~ every single day. Don’t just seek joy for yourself, look for ways to give joy to others~ every single day. Look for joy in the little things. Laugh with God. Laugh at yourself. Laugh with loved ones. View every day as if it could be your last. Focus on Jesus. When you feel your heart drifting search for Him. Pursue God. He is there next to you in every beautiful thought and happy feeling you have ever had. Think on things that bring you laughter, and then laugh again. Remember that your joy gives your great God the greatest glory. Find joy in today with eternity in mind. Every day is a gift, a new opportunity to find happiness and laughter. Fully surrender your days to God and ask Him to help you to focus on today, leaving your tomorrows with Him. No matter what those tomorrows hold, this life is not the end. Jesus is waiting for us with open arms. He gave His life to give us new life. A life filled with joy because of Him. The true joy that brings genuine laughter~ You know… the kind that makes you cry or pee your pants a little. 😉 Good old fashioned joy.
11/19/2021
A Guaranteed Happy ThanksgivingA Guaranteed Happy Thanksgiving
A Thanksgiving Devotional For weeks I had been planning this holiday with an excitement that could not be contained. My family would be traveling 700 miles to visit me for Thanksgiving. I poured over magazines with pictures of beautiful holiday table settings. Wonderful memories flooded my heart as I remembered the countless Thanksgivings spent with family, sitting around just such a table. Despite my apartment being tiny, we would all squeeze in and make it work. Mike and I had been married less than 3 years, with one child and another on the way. Morning sickness prevailed but I didn’t care~I missed home, I missed family, I missed all of us sitting around the dinner table together. Everything began just as I had planned, but it all went downhill on Thanksgiving day. One family member after another came down with the stomach flu~in the very worst way. Everyone ended up sick except for me. It is an understatement when I tell you that our apartment was tiny. There was barely enough room to walk by each other and with only one small bathroom and 5 sick people… well you can only imagine. I had a lot of cleaning… and then more cleaning to do, with no time to rest or even celebrate. Add morning sickness to the equation and my picture perfect Thanksgiving turned into a nightmare. No sitting around a table filled with a cornucopia of delicious foods and thankful spirits. Just misery. We all want that picture perfect Thanksgiving dinner, Martha Stewart style. We have high hopes that the Turkey will turn out a beautiful golden brown, that family will all get along and that laughter along with delicious pumpkin pie will ensue. That we will all truly be thankful. Sometimes life just doesn’t work out the way we hoped, especially during the holidays. The turkey is too dry, we burn the biscuits, we wonder why we’re the only one doing all the work, the stress levels in the kitchen are at an all time high and that one family member gets on our last nerve. And then we lose it. Our frustrations boil over just like our mashed potatoes. And so, as we approach this week of gratitude I would like to challenge you to focus on a different table setting. That of the last supper. There is so much we can glean from the scripture passage in John 13, and it stirs my heart. Who is sitting at your table? The focus in John 13 was not the food or even the fellowship. The focus was Jesus and the example He set for all of us as we sit down to our Thanksgiving meals. I would like to leave you with five things to meditate on this week. It might seem lengthy, but if you choose to focus on one every day~ it’s a guarantee your Thanksgiving supper will be a happy one. 1. A gift in the gratitude~Jesus gave thanks despite knowing what was ahead. Despite the wicked betrayal in the heart of Judas, despite the foreknowledge of Peter’s denial, despite the coming abandonment of the disciples who professed their love for Him. (Luke 22:17-18, Matthew 26:26-27, Mark 14:22-23.) Maybe you are excited about Thanksgiving, or maybe you are stressing over it~ whatever your case may be, you can change your outlook by choosing to give thanks. There is so much to be thankful for, starting with our Savior. How could He possibly be thankful in that moment? And yet, He was. Emulate His gratitude. Find something to be thankful for every day leading up to the big day. A habitual heart that beats a thankful rhythm will not easily be dissuaded when faced with difficult circumstances or people. Look to Jesus and just be thankful. 2. A gift in the giving~ Jesus became a servant. He never complained, but in humble love washed His disciples feet~ even the feet of the one who would betray Him. (John 13:4&5) Prepare your heart to be a servant this Thanksgiving, even to those you feel don’t deserve it. Judas certainly didn’t deserve it, but that didn’t stop our Savior. Serving others should never be viewed as an unwanted duty. Choose to bless others by the love you put into that service. Determine not to have a grumbling heart, but instead a thankful servant’s heart that God can use. Have the heart of Jesus. 3. A gift in the guidance~Despite knowing Judas would betray Him, Jesus chose to love and serve him and told us that we should follow His example. (John 13:11, 14-15.) We are human, there will always be that one person that annoys us (because they are human too) despite the little idiosyncrasies that get on our last nerve, none of them compare to sitting at supper with Judas. As you sit to supper this Thanksgiving, remember Jesus example and His words to us in admonishing that we follow that example. 4. A gift in the getting~Jesus actually told us something simple, yet profound. By following His example we will in turn be blessed with happiness. (John 13:17.) Okay, who doesn’t want happiness during the holidays? Who doesn’t want to fall into bed at night after a wonderful meal and precious moments with family and friends on Thanksgiving, and have your heart full of happiness? It doesn’t have to be something we wish for. Happiness can be our reality this Thanksgiving if we put into practice the steps He outlined for us in His word. Become a servant of love. 5. A gift in the glorifying~The last thing I want to leave you with in preparation of your week ahead is the very gift you will give to others by following Jesus example. (John 13:31&32, 34&35) You will be loving others with a true servant’s heart and in the doing, that love will glorify God. Isn’t that the ultimate goal? It’s not about us. It’s not about the food or the Pinterest perfect table setting. It’s all about the joy in sharing the love of Jesus. It’s all about the happiness in the serving. It’s all about the glory of God. Remember that Jesus is sitting at your table with you this Thanksgiving. He is all you will ever need in making beautiful God moments and memories. As I look back at that Thanksgiving so many years ago and the disaster that it was, it still holds precious memories to me. I can even laugh with my brothers at the events that holiday held and cherish the time spent with my mom and dad, who are no longer with us. Yes, there was a lot of serving, but there was also so much love; and the happiness my heart holds at the time we had together is one that I will treasure forever. A gift in the gratitude. A gift in the giving. A gift in the guidance. A gift in the getting. A gift in the glorifying. All because of Jesus. A Thanksgiving gift of God. Philippians 4:6 1 Thessalonians 5:18
11/12/2021
What Can I Give Him?His eyes twinkled as he hid a surprise behind his back. You could feel his excitement when he announced- “I have a present for you! “ he handed me the bag and watched as I pulled each item out. A ruler, some pencils, his mom’s best pair of scissors, a brand new tube of toothpaste and a folded up piece of sandpaper. I exclaimed over each thing, and then explained to him that mama might need her scissors and she would be looking for that toothpaste later. He agreed to put everything back, except the sand paper. He handed it to me with a smile and said “in case you want to make something”.
We played for a while and then, when I knew he wasn’t looking, I tucked that sand paper far behind some of my daughter’s things on the kitchen counter. I would tell her later that it was there. As I opened the front door to leave, he came running around the corner. “Grandma you forgot this!” he said, and proudly handed me that sand paper. HOW had he found it??? He wasn’t even in the same room when I hid it!!! I couldn’t stop laughing when I got home and told my husband the story. So often I believe we see the love of God through the lens of our human hearts. We gage the goodness of God on the big picture of our lives. If things aren’t going the way we would like, we tend to feel miserable and defeated. We complain and become ungrateful. We miss the abundance of small gifts tucked away in our lives. Gifts that God has already given to us. We miss the tremendous love God has poured into every single thing we have been so blessed to receive. In our eyes that small piece of sandpaper is worthless and we disregard it. Or, we look at our own heart and what we have to offer the Lord and often feel just like that piece of sandpaper. We see the talents and possessions of others and wish for what they have. We tend to think we have nothing to offer God because we compare ourselves to others. If only we could give God that shiny pair of special scissors or the brand new tube of toothpaste. But those gifts belong to someone else. They aren’t ours to give. And then we look down at ourselves and think we are worthless, just like that piece of sandpaper. How could God ever love or use us? Surely He must disregard us. When Little Gabe came running to me, holding that piece of sandpaper that I had so flippantly disregarded, God opened my eyes. He gave me a glimpse not only into all He has blessed me with that I so easily disregard at times, but also the love He has for me when I humbly come to Him with nothing to offer except myself. You see, I wouldn’t want anything else from my grandchildren. That innocent love they have in the giving is enough to make your heart burst, and I realized that’s exactly the way my Heavenly Father sees me. He doesn’t want fancy, shiny Charisse, He just wants Charisse. God wants us to come to him like a child. We need to stop looking at what we have to offer through our human lens. God wants us to know that He only wants us, not the gifts and possessions we can give Him. If he has our heart, He has everything. That piece of sandpaper is lovingly displayed on a stack of bibles in my home. It means so much to me. A little piece of paper filled with love and assurance that God my Father can use any of us if we are willing to give Him ourselves. Don’t look for the shiny and the new and forget all the little pieces of beautiful sandpaper He has already blessed you with, and don’t tuck away what you feel doesn’t measure up in God’s eyes. Today I will whisper thank you to Jesus for all the blessings He has given me that I so easily disregard in seasons of discontent. I will open my eyes to the love and grace He has so readily poured into my life and I will be grateful. I may not ever know how God can possibly find something in me to be used for His glory but as I give Him all the love in my meager, willing, folded up, sandpaper heart, with a smile I will say- “in case you want to make something”. And I will know that that is all He ever wanted. I Samuel 16:7 Acts 3:6 James 1:17 Luke 18:15-17 Mark 10:24 Micah 6:8
11/6/2021
Your Gratitude GarlandOne of our nearby towns used to have the very best dollar store.
It wasn’t like dollar stores today. It was a quaint little store downtown with old wood floors, and aisles upon aisles of treasures. Because money was sparse, it was a favorite spot to shop when my kids were little. Going all out with your decor for the holidays wasn’t as big a deal back then. Perhaps because we didn’t have social media to compare our decor, (or lack thereof) to others. At the time, I can remember watching a Thanksgiving special on television with my children. I saw a mantle lit up with an incredible array of Autumn radiance, and I wished for that. Beautiful Fall leaves in rich colors, with fruits and berries and twinkling lights. That week when we stopped by the dollar store, I knew I wanted to recreate the look. That wonderful old store had a section full of exactly what I was looking for. Because I couldn’t afford to buy it all at once, every week I would purchase five items to add to my leaf garland, hoping that the following week there would still be more to choose from. I did this for a whole month until I finally had the look my heart had longed for… With the holidays quickly approaching, it can become easy to lose sight of the bountiful array each holiday represents. Going into a month of humbling gratitude that leads us right into a month of adoration for a Savior born to man. The whole world seems to skip past the gratitude of this month and fast forward to the “happy” holiday with its festive music, presents and decorations, myself included. It makes us reminisce back to traditions and “feel good” moments. Everyone wants that happy feeling. But in the rush to achieve this happiness, it ends up alluding us. With the frenzy of skipping right past the gratitude, the stress of all the “to do’s”(with not enough time to do them) comes too quickly and overwhelms us. Instead of enjoying what should be a beautiful time, we miss the wonder of it all and the gratitude for it. We want that bountiful array, but we want it all right now. Suddenly you’re being asked if you have your decorating and shopping done. If you have your cookies baked. If your tree is up. If you are going to attend the many Christmas activities and parties being held. And in all of that, we miss the gratitude for Jesus. As the end of 2021 quickly approaches, I want to encourage you today to slow down. Determine to take in every single moment of this month. Don’t rush right past it. Each week pick out 5 things to be thankful for. Ponder them. Cherish them. Treasure them. Don’t try to fast forward to the whole package, instead take one day at a time and with a heart of thankfulness, move into the season of our Savior with overwhelming gratitude instead of overwhelming stress. You won’t have to worry if there will be enough to be thankful for as each week passes, you will have a bounty to choose from if you’re truly looking and your garland of gratitude will become fuller and fuller as you add to it… I still have that garland and all the items I purchased for it so many years ago. I still put it up every year. I still wonder in amazement as I add each piece and look at that beautiful array when I’m finished. I’m sure that nowadays I could just purchase a pre-made garland full of all the things that make mine beautiful, but I would lose the special joy in adding each piece and remembering. Years and years of thankful memories flood my heart as I slowly put mine together, and I am reminded of all the gifts God has bestowed upon this undeserving soul of mine. Savor in the sacredness of the season to come by slowing down and focusing on today and the bountiful array of glory God has given you to be grateful for. Don’t miss it. Don’t try to grasp for happiness without thankfulness. Happiness comes from a thankful heart. Thankfulness for the little pieces of beauty God adds to every day and gratefulness for a Savior born to take away the sins of all of mankind. Yes, savor in the sacredness and sacrifice of your Savior and look back on this season in grateful amazement at the array of wonder you hold in your heart. Wonder you will treasure for years to come. Matthew 6:34 I Thessalonians 5:18
9/25/2021
Your God MomentsThere are times that God just awes me.
Moments that might not mean a thing to someone else. Every time an awe moment hits, I feel the closeness of His presence. The tears and praises intermingle as my soul acknowledges the fact that the very God who created my great big world is also sitting right next to little me, giving me a much needed hug. As I play the piano week after week for our church services, I am often in awe that my hands can actually create a melody. Every aspect of it has me amazed. It’s not that I’m good at it, because I definitely am not (and that’s not me pretending to be humble. It’s simply the facts). It’s the very idea that I can play the melodies to hundreds of well loved hymns that stir my soul. My hands. God using my hands. You would think that after 52 years of playing it wouldn’t surprise me anymore, but it hits me every time. As I look down at the fingers that touch each key to create such a melody, I am almost in disbelief. It’s something I will never take for granted. There are so many other things that God uses to awe me. Looking into the precious eyes of my grandchildren is like looking into a miracle. I am in awe as I view the childhood eyes of my husband, myself and my children all in the same sweet child standing before me. Watching my adult children with a humbling pride (if there can be such a thing) at the amazing ways God is using the talents He has given each of them to further His kingdom. Having a “me” moment and feeling sorry for myself, yet not praying about my feelings or even sharing those emotions with a single person. In turn~receiving 4 unexpected acts of encouragement within 12 hours that blessed my heart and soul to its core. Knowing that it was God and not taking a single one for granted. There are awe moments in so many things. The little girl dreams I had that have come true for me. My husband and best friend, who loves me despite me. A home filled with beautiful things that I love. Not just physical things, but memories of my babies. Love and laughter. Seasons of change. Memories yet to be made. My church right next door and the wonderful facilities God has blessed us with. My church family that has become everything to me. My hometown and the sunsets over our lake that always take my breath away. The Bible. The very words of God that I get to hold in my hands. Words that are so often taken for granted. Jesus dying on the cross and saving my sinful soul, taking away every sin~ past present and future. Jesus, who holds my hand through every scary situation, who takes away every anxious thought, who hugs a heartbroken soul, who turns my sorrow into laughter. God who created my great big world, yet sits right here with little me. Too often we are tempted to ask~ “Where is God in all of this?” Sweet friend, God is in the still small beauty that surrounds you at this very minute. Take your eyes off of the messiness and look right in front of you. Don’t dwell on the sad. Don’t fill your mind with all the negative. When you feel yourself slipping down that dark tunnel of despair, turn your eyes back to the light. Look for your own awe moments. All the gifts that God has given. Gifts that surround you at this very moment. Those moments that don’t mean a thing to someone else~ those are your own God moments. We take so many of them for granted. We don’t deserve a single one, and yet God in all His magnificent love has seen fit to bless us with them. Open your eyes and see your world for the very first time. The great big world that belongs to you… And realize that God is sitting right there with you, no matter how small you feel. Above every other awe moment~ that is the one that truly brings me to my knees. That is the one that causes tears and praise to intermingle. That is the one that will never cease to take my breath away. He is here. Right here with me. Little me.
5/15/2021
Your Head That Is BowedYesterday.
Her head was bowed. A worn and tattered bible lay softly on her lap. She read each word as if it were the greatest treasure she ever held. Her head was bowed. Bills lay all over the old kitchen table. A jar of loose change that came up short. Her words were barely audible as she spoke to her Savior. A smile was on her face. Full of assurance that He would take care. Heads were bowed all over the restaurant. Simple meals sat before them. Prayers of thanksgiving abounded for the goodness God had blessed them with. Laughter and conversation ensued. Joy was present. People were present. Heads were bowed as they knelt next to their bed. A tiny bedroom with only a small nightstand. Soft singing could be heard in praises to their Heavenly Father. A roof over their heads. A soft pillow to fall asleep on. Contended children in the bedroom next to them. Children whose little eyes captured each of these moments and remembered. “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” 2 Corinthians 6:10 Today. Her head was bowed. Scrolling mindlessly on a device filled with staged perfection. Unhappiness furrowed her brow, yet she could not avert her eyes. Psalm 107:8-9, 119:105 Her head was bowed. A device filled with objects sure to bring happiness, one of many credit cards in her hand. “Purchase now” was always such an easy option, yet happiness always alluded her. Philippians 4:19 Heads were bowed all over the restaurant. A fork in one hand and a phone in the other. A mindless murmur of conversation could be heard. No thankfulness. No laughter. People without presence. Proverbs 18:24 Their heads were bowed. Next to each other in bed, yet both in their own little worlds. Each looking at their device. Almost lost in the immense size of the bed they lay in, yet a bed that seemed small for the room that held it. Both still working late into the night. Worlds apart, yet in the same room. Promises to spend time with children had been broken. Again. Psalm 127:1-3 Children whose little eyes captured each of these moments and remembered. What will our children grow up remembering? As they see your head bowed will it be bowed to your Savior or to your device? Devices will always be around. They will become easier and faster. They will always pull us in. They will lie to us in making us believe that the grass is always greener. That other people’s lives are better. That it’s ok to go into debt because you deserve that new outfit, purse, shoes, furniture, vacation. That it doesn’t matter that you work 90% of your life to pay for what you deserve. To pay for happiness. That God is not in control and He will not help you, that only you can help yourself. That it’s okay to check those notifications, to scroll, to answer emails. That you are present with your husband, your children, your family because they are sitting next to you in the same room. Yes, your device is lying to you. I once read~ “Your cell phone will be small forever. Your children will not”. We only have our children for a short amount of time, and then they will be gone. Tomorrow. All your children’s tomorrow’s. What will they remember of your head that is bowed? Teach them to go to Jesus. Isaiah 54:13 Not their device.
5/1/2021
Stay At Home MomMy daughter recently shared a YouTube video entitled ‘Day in the Life’.
I smiled as I read all the sweet comments people posted, until I got to the very end. The last comment implied that her life as a stay at home mom was outdated and old fashioned. A slam against everything that she loves, and the calling she feels God has placed upon her heart. I thought back to earlier that evening. I had been babysitting my granddaughters. As I folded clothes in my laundry room, they laughed and played along side me, and in that moment my heart felt so incredibly full. Precious memories came flooding back of similar moments I shared with my children when they were that age. You see~I was living my dream. I am living my dream. All I ever wanted to be when I was little was a wife and mother. Sure I had hobbies and thought about vocations I might enjoy, but ultimately the dream was to be a wife and mom. Just like my mom. I never really knew how deep my passion was for such a dream until I was much older. Right in the middle of this mom life, despite all its craziness, I realized my dreams had come true. I cannot explain the peace that comes over me when I am home, doing home things. I’m in my element. Being a wife, a mom, a grandma. Cooking and cleaning and laundry and baking and taking care of this home God has given me and the hearts He has placed in my hands. Little hearts to mold and nourish and raise and love. And then to let go. There is nothing on this earth that I would rather do. But apparently, that is outdated. It’s old fashioned to think that way. It’s a ludicrous idea to some to actually love taking care of your home and the little hearts God has given you. And to me, that is sad. I raised three daughters and a son. They are all grown now and we’ve added 6 grandchildren to the mix. Two of my daughters have jobs outside the home and one has chosen to be that old fashioned vocation ~ A stay at home mom. I am immensely proud of all of them. Do I believe one is better than the other? Do I think it’s wrong to work outside the home? Let me be very, very clear here~ NO I do not, but I do believe it’s wrong when one of the greatest vocations since the beginning of time has been made into a mockery. What has become of us as a nation when being a stay at home mom has been belittled and looked down upon? Where mothers who choose that life are made to feel “less than” or stupid. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are women out there who abuse the system. Who don’t understand the true meaning of ‘wife’ and ‘mother’ and all that it entails. But to those moms who are living their dream with a passion~ it is a high calling. I am not ashamed to say that I am living my dream. In fact, I’m not ashamed to say that I love my husband, that I love making him his favorite meals or taking care of the home that his job has helped provide. Sadly, even marriage has been deprecated along with the homemaker. If you dare to say that you love cooking for your husband, or God forbid sharing intimacy together, instead of a helpmeet and lover, you are ridiculously labeled a ‘live in maid’ or even worse, a ‘sex slave’. Why do I find joy in these things that I do? Why do I believe I am living the dream? Because of the crazy amount of love my heart holds. Love for my God Who has provided me such a beautiful family and this dream home I have been given to live in and take care of. Love for my husband, who daily loves me back in so many different ways that too often I take them for granted. Love for my children, and the breathtaking wonder that these super, awesome adults were once cradled lovingly inside my womb. I’m living the dream because my heart is overflowing with thankfulness and love. Today I sat across from my three grandsons as they ate a piece of their mommy’s homemade carrot cake. The atmosphere might have appeared messy to some. School work was on the table, dishes were in the sink and all I could think was~ my daughter is living the dream too. What a dream. She’s raising boys who will grow up into men. Men who will have a part in leading our country into a better tomorrow. Maybe preachers or fire fighters. Maybe teachers or coaches. Men who will have an impact. Men who will become husbands and fathers. The kind of husbands you want for your little girls one day. The kind of fathers you want for your grandchildren. What a tremendous calling and privilege has been placed upon her heart. The raising of future husbands and fathers. I so often hear on social media the need we have for strong women. I cannot think of a stronger role model for generations to come than that of a stay at home mom. The time we have with the little lives entrusted to us is barely a whisper in the echo of eternity. But that whisper can become a mighty shout for God’s glory in the halls of their futures. Every single moment spent at home with them is an investment into that future. Please hear me Mama, your dream may not be the vocation of stay at home mom like mine is. That’s okay. There were several women in the Bible who worked outside the home. Maybe it is your dream to be a stay at home mom, but you don’t have the means to make it a reality. Regardless of what each of our situations may be, I think we can all agree that our children and grandchildren need a better future. I truly believe that future begins in the home, with the heart of a mother. Our focus needs to shift. It needs to change. The title Mom should never be downgraded. Instead, it should be applauded. It is a strong woman who has chosen such a job. A woman with some of the greatest strengths of all. The strength of thankfulness and of love. It isn’t a strength she possess on her own, it is a strength that can only come from an even greater love. That of her heavenly Father. As I was leaving my daughter’s home, her youngest hurt himself and came to me crying. I kissed his little finger and the boo boo magically went away. Someday he will be doing the same for his own children. Tears welled up in my eyes knowing I have had a small part in such a beautiful high calling. To be his mom’s mom. To be a stay at home mom. To think that God has allowed me this is beyond my wildest dreams~ and I get to live that dream every single day.
4/17/2021
Life Like It Was YesterdayIt hit me this morning.
I’m a grandma telling grandma stories, and that’s how this generation views me. The same way I viewed grandmothers when I was a teenager and young mom. The grandmothers who told stories of the Great Depression and how hard things were. The grandmothers who told me how easy I had it compared to their lives at my age. You know, the stories about walking 5 miles to school, up hill, in a snowstorm. The stories we rolled our eyes over. The crazy thing is, I don’t “feel” like those grandmas “looked”. Does that make sense? Because they looked old to me and I still FEEL young. Life like it was yesterday. Every story. *I would tell you about the day I was thrilled to move a tiny stove, and a refrigerator into our apartment. I would tell you the story of how we were able to purchase our first microwave. Our appliances didn’t match, but boy was I grateful. Who would’ve thought that one day God would give me new, matching appliances? Yet, He did. *I would tell you what a luxury it is to be able to go to a salon and get my hair done once a month. Except for the brief period that I was a redhead, if I wanted blonde hair when my kids were little I had to wait for a visit from my mom twice a year. (We lived in another state). *I would tell you how I have instant messaging from an iPhone and an Apple Watch instead of stories about the cost of long distance phone calls to family members that could only last 15 minutes and only be made on Saturday. *I would tell the story of newlyweds and their first television set. Only one station and a crazy amount of static yet now I have a very large, “useless to God’s kingdom” TV with hundreds of channels. *I have a washer and dryer that are actually in my home. *A closet full of clothes and shoes and purses. *A fireplace. I used to dream of having a fireplace. These are only a few things, the things this generation takes for granted. If I listed all the things God has blessed me with~ from running water and electricity to vehicles and vacations~ I could surely write a book. We take so much for granted, and the more I thanked God this morning for the big things and the things that we probably don’t think twice about, the more I realized that. And I believe that’s why there is so much unhappiness, so much unrest, so much longing for more. I believe it’s the very reason so many are discouraged and depressed. They’re missing all the things around them that God has ALREADY blessed them with. Things that this grandma prayed for. Things that my God blessed me with. Things that I look back on and remember feeling guilty for even asking, but silly things God has provided to show me again and again how much He loves me. And even though I remember occasionally wishing for matching appliances or a fireplace~ that’s not what stands out most in my mind. What stands out most is the joy, the happiness, a beautifully blessed life with my husband and children. Our laughter despite our lack. Perhaps the reason I did not feel like I was missing out or like life wasn’t fair was because everything was not there for the taking. I was brought to my knees each time God provided, because it was truly a little miracle in my life and not just a swipe of the credit card. I encourage you today to stop and look around. Notice every single little thing and thank God for that. And in the thanking, realize how very much he loves you to bless you so abundantly. Maybe that’s why grandmas talk about how hard they had it when they were younger. With age comes wisdom and wisdom reminds us that it’s good to never ever take anything for granted. To continually be thankful. I don’t ever want to forget. One day you will be a grandma like me telling your children and grandchildren all about your life and how much they take for granted. I hope that you can look back on today and smile, because today was the day you realized that you were blessed beyond measure. Not just blessed because of the many things God has provided for you, but blessed in the breathtaking knowledge of His incredible love for you. James 1:17 Matthew 7:11
3/6/2021
Fight For HappinessOld seemed so far away.
I was on vacation. Laying in the sand, soaking up the sun, listening to the waves. Getting browner by the minute, and loving every second of it. I took my young body for granted. Never worrying about what I ate or didn’t eat, never worried about joints aching or not being able to open jars. Never worried about wrinkles or skin cancer. Those thoughts never once entered my mind. Yes I took life for granted. And then I had a few kids, and pretty soon I realized these kids really, truly needed me. I loved them with an ache that could not be compared to anything I’d ever experienced. And suddenly, I was worried about skin cancer and what I ate or didn’t eat. As I lifted each child, as I hauled a baby around on my hip that supported a pregnant belly above it, I no longer took that body for granted. I lathered on sunscreen and wrinkle cream. I took vitamins and ate healthier. I spent more time in God’s word instead of magazines with beautiful models on their covers. I began to see things differently as each year went by. Pretty soon my arms and hands were lifting boxes as each child moved into their new homes. I was unpacking kitchen utensils and bathroom necessities for them. I was helping hang pictures and making up beds in their new bedrooms. Bedrooms that were no longer above me upstairs. And later in the evening I was rubbing medicinal cream on achey joints and back muscles. I was missing them. And I was remembering. I was remembering a young 20 year old basking in the sun. Unpacking boxes in her new apartment. Welcoming each child into her heart and home, and taking so much for granted. And I whispered thank you to Jesus. Because I never really realized all He gave me, and I took so much of it for granted. I determined that I no longer would. And I was watching my dad before he passed. How slowly he moved. How hard it was for him to see like he used to. How easily he tired. And yet, he still smiled. He still laughed. He still enjoyed life. And I felt young again. And I knew that every day would be a gift. Every day would hold beauty. Every day would be a day I would look back on with either happiness or sorrow, and every day I would fight for that happiness. And I would tell you~ don’t take it for granted. Cherish every single minute of every single day and thank Jesus for it, because it goes by so quickly. Thank God for your young self. Don’t take your body for granted. Thank God for that body and all it’s able to do. Thank God for His word and the wisdom it gives you each and every day. Thank God for your children and for achey joints and backs, because you were able to help them. Because they still needed you. Thank God that you miss them~ because He gave you so much beauty to miss. Thank God and don’t ever take another minute of another day of your beautiful life for granted again.
1/4/2021
Finding The Good In The GrievingFINDING THE GOOD IN THE GRIEVING
I realize this is a very long post, but I ask you to bear with me because once again, I’m going to be brutally honest here and admit some things I’m dealing with. Things I don’t want to think about, let alone write about. But things that God has given me to help me through this. Steps that I think can truly help others. I know many of you have been anticipating 2021 since March of 2020. It’s been a year of horrors, and people desperately need to believe everything will change for the better in the coming year. But I am struggling. Thanksgiving and Christmas~ decorating shopping, wrapping, baking, Hallmark movies and Christmas music~ all of these things masked the deep ache of grief in my heart. I didn’t want to face it just like I don’t want to face 2021. I don’t want to move forward. My heart wants to go back in time. I’m facing the responsibilities that go along with losing your last parent. Packing up a lifetime of memories my dad held on to. My memories. I don’t want to go through his drawers and cupboards and make the hard decisions on what gets thrown away, or given away, or kept. I want to keep it all, right down to the tape dispenser and air freshener he recently purchased. No, my heart doesn’t want to move forward. Instead, I want to go back in time and just sit with him there in his living room. Laughing about something funny my grandchildren did. Sharing a chocolate. Reminiscing. I want to see his red Jeep outside my front door as he stops by for his daily check in. Always smiling. I want to tell him one more time how much I love him. I know many of you are in the same boat. This year has taken so many loved ones. The heartbreak has been unfathomable. In the past 5 months I’ve written 7 posts on a variety of things that can change your life for the better. Today my own heart longs to be changed. I don’t want to be sad. I don’t want to mask the pain with busyness or superficial happiness. I don’t want to continue to push it down into the recesses of my soul and pretend it isn’t there, always looming over me like a black cloud. I don’t want to dwell on “what if’s” and “could have been’s”. So how? How do I move past this deep ache of grief? I understand that everyone deals with grief differently. My own personality does not want to read someone else’s words on how to deal with grief. The devil knows this. He knows our personalities and he will use our own deceitful hearts against us. (Jeremiah 17: 9) He tricks me into believing that I am unique in my pain and no one can possibly understand enough to write anything that will help. But he is wrong. God has continually been tugging at my heart. He will never leave me. (Hebrews 13:5b) He will not give up on me~ even when I feel like giving up on me. He is always whispering to my sadness~”I am right here Charisse.” (Romans 8:38&39) And so, today I want to share some simple things God has used to comfort me. I am a work in progress. My words are not the ‘end all’ solution. They are a day by day choice. Every single day has new challenges and I know I am facing some even harder ones in the coming weeks. 1. Ask God for help- As I have said in my previous ‘life changing’ posts, my number 1 tip will always, always, always be to ask God for help. You will never conquer the next 6 steps if you do not take this very first one. (Psalms 16:11, Romans 8:26, John 14:16-18, 26, I Peter 5:7) 2. Stay in Gods word- The minute I slip away and allow other things to come before, or even replace my time spent talking to God or reading His word is the minute the heartbreaking grief takes control. (John 15:11, I Thessalonians 5:17) Every morning I must get out of bed and choose joy. (Nehemiah 8:10) Choose God, His words, His promises, His peace. Some days when I wake up I just know it’s going to be a good day. I smile. I tell myself I can do this. Other mornings, I just want to hide under the covers and sleep the day away so I don’t have to deal. I don’t know why one morning can be so different from the next, but these are the days that I must choose wisely. I must choose God. Which takes me back to point number 1. I cannot do this in my own strength, so on days like this I cry out to Him and ask Him to help me. Some days I am silently begging Him for help over and over and over again. Even though the day may feel like it was the worst day ever, when I lay my head on my pillow that night I realize I made it through, but only because of Him. If we could see our lives the way God can~if we could understand how horrible things would have been without His continuing presence~we would realize that even on our worst days He was right there with us and got us through it. (Jeremiah 33:3) Tomorrow is a new day. (Psalms 118:24) 3. Face your grief- as much as I don’t want to, I have realized that I cannot pretend my dad is just gone visiting my brothers. I cannot push the pain down deep and not think about it, because in doing so the pain will remain debilitating. I must face it, and in facing it a myriad of other steps come into play. 4. Cry. Talk it out. Ask for help and prayer- We should not feel shame for the grief we are going through. We do not have to pretend we have it all together. We need to cry and not bottle everything inside. This is an area I have a hard time with. I do not want to cry because I do not want to cause my children worry or sadness and I don’t want my grandchildren to see me sad. I have realized that this not only makes the process harder, but drags the grief out longer and longer. There is nothing wrong with asking for help, for someone to just come and sit with you as you talk about what you’re going through or just need to reminisce. (Galatians 6:2) There is nothing wrong with asking others to please pray for you when you are having a bad day. (I Thessalonians 5:25, James 5:16, Matthew 18:20) There is nothing wrong with crying. (Psalms 56:8-13) There is nothing in the Bible that says that we shouldn’t cry, only that we should not cry as if we have no hope. (I Thessalonians 4:13) Which brings me to my next point. 5. Eternity- God has given us this amazing, unaltering hope through the shed blood of His Son Jesus on the cross. Eternity. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, if we in repentance accept His gift of salvation~ God promises us eternity with Him in heaven. (I Thessalonians 4:14) My daddy did this and I have the full assurance from God’s word that my dad is at home in heaven right now. (Romans 6:8, John 14:2, I John 5:13, II Corinthians 5:8) If I choose to focus on my dad instead of myself~ it changes my whole perspective. Why would I choose to wish for him to be here with me, when he is in the very presence of his God? His Heavenly Father who loved him so greatly that He sent His Son to die for Him? My cousin so sweetly reminded me of this on Christmas Day. His very words were~”he is celebrating Christ with your mom right now.” My parents are celebrating Christ, and what a celebration!!! They are in glory. No more pain. (Revelation 21:4) Only praises. (Psalms 89:5, Luke 15:10) 6. Focus on the good and be thankful- This can be a hard one because when we focus on the good and happy memories, they often bring the tears as well. I know there will come a day when my tears turn into happy, thankful tears. And so, I will remember all the happy times. All the moments turned into memories. The moments that wouldn’t seem particularly special at all to anyone else, but hold beautiful happiness to me. Moments that I thank God for. (Philippians 4:6) As much as my heart hurts and wants those moments back, if I continually remember step number 1, I know that God will help me to be thankful and to see how amazing it was that I had all those silly, special, mundane moments with my dad here in Caseville the last four years. 7. Live every day as if it were your last- (Psalms 90:12b) We do not know what tomorrow holds. (James 4:14) We aren’t promised tomorrow, or even today. Knowing this, and with God’s help, I am moving into the future. Today. January 1, 2021. I am resolving to live every day to the fullest. To see the beauty in every single thing~ whether that’s the snow storm in our forecast, whether that’s the silly things my husband does that tend to irritate me or my aching back that I threw out putting Christmas decorations away~ I am asking God to show me the good in every singe thing. And my friend~ there is SO MUCH GOOD. (James 1:17) Beautiful, fresh clean snow. A picture of a new beginning. A husband that loves me despite all my irritating qualities (like putting away heavy Christmas boxes without asking for help) and then waits on me hand and foot. Time spent sitting with him because, as much as I want to, I can’t move. And realizing how precious this time of doing ‘nothing’ is. I am resolving to truly be present for my grandchildren. To stop and listen to their childish babbling and soak in every word. To play with them and create beautiful moments they can someday remember and be thankful for. So I will ask you~ how do you want your friends and your loved ones to remember you right now? Today? If you drew your last breath as you fell asleep tonight, just as my dad did, would they remember sadness or would they remember joy? Not a masked happiness but the true joy that only comes from God? I want my friends and loved ones to remember joy. I want my husband and children and grandchildren to remember my laughter. I want them to remember me smiling, just as I will always hold the memory of my dad. My sweet, precious dad outside my front door in his red Jeep. Smiling. Smile again with me my friends. I promise, God can change your life! Ask Him to help you find the good again.
12/3/2020
I Have EnoughThere wasn’t a better feeling in the whole world than the feeling she had right now.
Snuggled on her daddy’s lap. Laughing at her little brother. Listening to Andy Williams as he told her It Was The Most Wonderful Time. Seeing the glow of the fireplace as it danced across the tinsel that hung from the tree. Smiling at her beautiful mom all dressed up, yet working in the kitchen preparing the turkey. Little wax angels on the window sill watching over her. A snowman candle on the piano and daddy’s teddy bear tucked on her lap. Christmas books laid out, ready to read on this perfect Christmas Eve. Her tiny heart was so full. My tiny heart was so full. Others might laugh at the things I choose to display at Christmas time~ The books, the candles, my dads teddy bear. My parents retro Christmas bulbs or the fruited wreath and basket my mom always displayed~ but all of these things are beautiful reminders to me of those I love. Reminders of my mom and my dad who aren’t here with me this year to celebrate the holiday they both loved so much. The holiday they made so magical for me. Each one of these things is a piece of them, a piece of my heart. Even though they are simple heirlooms, they remind me of a heart full of thankfulness for those I love so dearly. They remind me that even though my heart misses them, I cannot be sad as I celebrate Thanksgiving because they have left me so much joy and happiness. They have left me the gift of gratitude. I want to leave that same joy and happiness for my own children and grandchildren. This year has been horrific for many of us and yet, my heart that once was so tiny is now so full. How can I not be thankful? I have so much to be thankful for. I lost my daddy, but I will never lose the legacy he left me. I will never lose the beautiful memories my heart clings to. I will never lose the love he gave. I will never lose the magic of Christmas he instilled in me. Today I snuggle with my granddaughters. The glow from the fireplace dances off the ornaments that were once my parents. Andy Williams is telling us It’s The Most Wonderful Time. The teddy bear is tucked on Ellie’s lap as Clara holds our manger’s baby Jesus. I want their tiny hearts to be full. Someday when I’m gone and they’re up in my attic looking through my boxes, I want them to cherish the decorations that only they might hold so dear. Others might not understand why they choose to display them. My prayer is that when they do, they don’t remember the Thanksgiving grandma was so sad but instead how very much they were loved and how much they have to be thankful for. Yes, there is always so very much to be thankful for. Fill the tiny hearts in your life with that love and thankfulness this Thanksgiving. Give them the gift of gratitude. Psalms 78:4-7, 102:18, I Thessalonians 5:18 Colossians 3:15 II Corinthians 9:11 Philippians 4:11, 13 JJHeller I Have Enough
7/19/2020
Shining From The Inside OutDo you know how to pray?
I’m confessing my faults here. It doesn’t always come easy for me. I’m not a morning person at all, and I’m not a social butterfly. Two things that really seem to hinder my prayer life at times. I’ve written articles on this before but even after 54 years, I can’t say I’ve got it down. I don’t wake up and automatically talk to God. I’m one of those “don’t talk to me for 2 hours” kind of non-morning people. I wish when that alarm went off I was praising Jesus instead of grumbling all the way to the coffee maker. From the moment I wake up, a thousand thoughts run through my head. The first ten or twenty are usually “I want to go back to sleep”, but then I start thinking ahead about my day and my schedule. I have a hard time just sitting and being still. My hands are always doing something. My mind is always thinking ahead. For me, bible reading comes easy. It’s a task that I am physically doing. Prayer not so much. I am an introvert, a quiet thinker but not a big talker. For some reason I dread even talking on the phone. I’ve heard that women talk way more than men, but in my case my husband must say three times the words I do in a day. And then, as soon as I do start talking to God, my mind begins to wander and I’m thinking of everything I want to accomplish that day. I know that’s not God, that’s Satan trying to limit my prayer life. He knows what our weaknesses are and he knows how to use them against us. When I think of goals, I often think about the account of Moses shining so brightly after he talked to God. Deep down that is my desire. To just shine for Jesus. To just talk to Him so big and so often that everyone knows He is my Jesus. He is my everything. Listening to sermons and reading devotions and going to church can all motivate but having a personal one on one time with Jesus is the only thing that will truly help us get to know God and learn what it means to talk to Him as a Father and Friend. To shine from the inside out. You might be completely different than I am. Prayer might come easy to you but Bible reading is harder. Either way, I hope these next tips can challenge you as you talk to God on a day to day basis. 1. First and foremost, I want you to ask yourself~am I a child of God? I know that I mentioned in my last article that my first tip will always be to ask God for help, but before you can do that~ Do you know if you are truly His child? We are not all “good”. All of us have sinned. We are born sinners. Romans 3:12,23. From that tiny white lie that you told to the murderers on death row. We were all born with a sin nature and can never be good enough or do enough good deeds to somehow make it to heaven when we die. Ephesians 2:8&9. That’s why Jesus had to come and die for our sins. He paid the debt we owed to God for all the wrong we’ve ever done. We have to believe in Him, repent and receive Him to be permanently forgiven of our sins and become God’s child. Romans 10:9&10. This isn’t a “get out of jail free” card or a ticket you hand to God when you die that says “I said a prayer, so I get one free pass to heaven”. This is a true prayer of repentance and forgiveness from the heart that leads to a beautiful relationship with God for all of eternity. John 3:16. If you don’t have a relationship with God, the rest of this article will be of no help to you. If this is something you have questions about, please message me. With all my heart I would love to talk to you further about this. ~So, with that being said~ 2. ASK God for help. If you don’t know where to start, if you don’t know what to say. If you feel like you are talking to a wall and you can’t feel His presence. KEEP asking for help. Every single day. All day. Keep asking. God wants a relationship with you. He wants you to communicate with Him all day long and He wants to help you with this. Pursue Him and don’t give up. Romans 8:26 3. Get to know God better by reading His words. I wrote a post about this that you can read here~ https://www.cbcofcaseville.org/blog/read-through-the-bible A big part of the problem many people have with prayer is that they don’t really know God. You might know about Him but until you open His word and read about His tremendous love for you, prayer will not become real to you. 4. Make it a habit to talk to Him all day long. Prayer doesn’t have to be a special time set aside. Prayer is simply talking to God. Talk to Him, cry with Him, sing with Him. Sit in silence and listen to Him. Thank Him. Prayers of thanksgiving can change everything about your prayer life. I encourage you to read my post about that here~ https://www.cbcofcaseville.org/blog/a-prayer-that-can-change-your-life#comments All of these things are a part of prayer. His presence is ALWAYS with you, so why not talk to Him ALWAYS? 5. Once you are a child of God, nothing can separate you from His love. Romans 8:39, John 10:28&29. You will always be His child but if you know deep down that you have sin in your life, make sure you ask Him to forgive you and restore your relationship. Psalm 66:18. Just like in any relationship, if you have wronged someone, that relationship can’t move forward and flourish until you ask for forgiveness. Now that we got past some basics, here are a few new things God showed me this week about my own prayer life. 1. Quit viewing it as a job, a duty or a mandate and start viewing it as an expression of love. I don’t know how many sermons I’ve heard on the importance of bible reading and prayer. ~You need to read and pray~ has been ingrained into me since junior high. It seemed as if it was almost portrayed as a command and if that command was not followed, punishment would ensue. As the years went by, I didn’t realize I began to view prayer as a duty to God. A job. Something every Christian is “supposed” to do. Prayer can too easily become mechanical. This is not what God intended at all. Think about the person you love most on this earth. Do you ever think about talking to them as a duty? No, that’s ridiculous. We WANT to talk to them. It comes natural because we love them so much. That is how it should be with God. We should wake up excited to speak to Him. We should want to share everything with Him about our day, we should lay all our burdens and anxieties at His feet. He should be the first person we want to go to when problems arise and when overwhelming happiness floods our souls. All because we love Him and all because He loves us. 2. I’ve heard women say that it’s too hard to talk to someone who is not physically there with with them, yet we talk to ourselves all the time. Think about that. Let it sink in. Our inner thoughts command our steps without us even realizing it. Women have thousand of thoughts running through their minds at once. It’s how we were created. Not all our thoughts are good. Not all our thoughts are uplifting. We can beat ourselves up with negative thinking. We listen to our criticizing inner voices and we believe them. Isaiah 55:8&9, Jeremiah 17:9. Why is it so easy to talk to ourselves and to listen to those inner voices, yet convince ourselves that we can’t talk to God or hear from Him? Whenever my inner thoughts start getting the best of me, I have tried to make it a habit to stop listening to them and bring all those thoughts to God. 2 Corinthians 10:5. I talk to Him about everything going through my mind. It’s so much easier to give the burdens to Him. I Peter 5:7. Try this practice the next time your inner thoughts are gaining a negative control on your life. Romans 12:2 3. I’ve read a lot of helpful tips on what to do if your mind wanders like mine does. Things like praying out loud, praying in a room with no distractions, kneeling when you pray etc. What has helped me most is to first ask the Holy Spirit for help, and second to remind myself that Jesus is literally right there with me. I can talk to him so much easier when I picture Him there with me. I can laugh and I can allow Him to hold me as I sob tears of heartache or shame. Because He is right there. Once your mind gets a hold of this truth, prayer is life changing. We are all created different. God knows this. He understands this. Our prayer lives will all look different. There isn’t a magic cookie cutter mold that God expects us to master. God loves you just the way you are and He will love your conversations with Him, because He will know that’s you. He knows everything about you. He knows the deepest thoughts and feelings of our hearts. Nothing is hid from Him, so why not be real and raw when you talk to Him? Don’t try to pray like someone else. Let your prayers be the words your heart speaks. You pray you. And it will change your life.
7/12/2020
You Are MarvelousThis was very hard for me to write. I prayed and read and dug deep into scripture. Then I prayed and prayed some more because no matter what I came up with, I couldn’t even convince myself~ so, how could I convince you?
I don’t need to tell you this but I’m going to anyway~ Comparison is the thief of Joy. Deep down, you already know that. Sadly, so do I. There’s so much I could write on this subject. 54 years of comparison stealing away joy. I’m not necessarily talking about possessions here (that’s another topic for another post). I’m talking about genetic personality traits that we are unhappy with. Our DNA. Ways we wish we were physically different than how God created us. It all started one night when I was washing my face. I was slathering wrinkle cream all over my neck and wondering why I waited until my 50’s to start doing this. I wished my mom had warned me, so I picked up my phone and jokingly sent a text to my daughters~ “Mom tip #54- start putting wrinkle cream on your neck right now, not just on your face” My daughter Kathryn responded ~”thanks mom, but I’d like to know the other 53 tips too 😂😂😂” I laughed at her response, but it sort of stuck with me. I’m 54. What tips could I leave with my daughters that could help them? Tips that might change their lives? So, I started thinking about putting together a list of mom advice. 54 tips to help my kids. Add one each year. But here’s what I kept thinking about~ All the mistakes I made and regrets I had. The very things I didn’t want my own daughters to experience. One major regret was comparison. Why have I wasted 54 years wishing I could be like someone else? I can remember being this way since grade school. Wishing I wasn’t such a “girly” girl. Wishing I was stronger, more athletic, wishing I was more outgoing, wishing for a different body, hair, face. Thinking I wasn’t cool enough. Wishing I wasn’t so shy. Wishing I was more confident. Wishing I was like someone else. Wishing I was like her... So girls, here you go. Here are some things God has shown me this week, tips that have helped me to work on viewing myself through God’s lens instead of my own. ⁃ This will always be my #1 tip in every situation, no matter what~ ASK GOD FOR HELP. ⁃ Get in God’s word. Comparison has been around since the beginning of time. The story unfolds with Satan tempting Eve by comparing her to God, her son comparing himself to his brother, Rachel and Leah, Saul with David, Gideon, Moses and the list goes on. We can learn so much from reading their accounts. Some went through tremendous heartache because of comparison, but many were great men and women of God in the Bible. They felt lacking. They didn’t feel good enough or qualified enough to do the job, yet God always used them in mighty ways. He showed many of them that their comparison issues weren’t an issue at all, because it was never about them. It was, and always will be all about God. He used them to fulfill the gospel. This was such a comfort to me. II Corinthians 10:12, Exodus 4:11 ⁃ See myself as God sees me and be thankful. I don’t want to live the remainder of the time I have left comparing myself to other women and putting down God’s creation. God thought about every tiny detail of me and of you, and then He said~this is what I want her to be like. This is how I want her to look and this is the personality I want her to have. She will be mine, she will be marvelous and wonderful. She will be precious to me. Isaiah 64:8, Luke 12:7, Psalm 139:1-16 (read it, it’s true!!) ⁃ Every day write down one thing about yourself that makes you happy. Jot down those scriptures from Psalm 139. Stick them everywhere as a reminder of God’s love for you. Shove them in your purse. The next time you’re standing in line at Target and you see that super friendly, outgoing, beautiful lady in front of you and you start to compare and forget~you can reach for your wallet and pull out that card instead. Then smile, because God reminded you how beautiful you are to Him. I know as Christians we can view this as being prideful~but done in the right spirit, it is a heart of thankfulness to God. At times we can be critical regarding the fine line between pride and thankfulness. You know, the whole Pharisee/Sadducee argument (and let me just add, if you’re talking to others about how humble you are, that’s probably your pride finding it’s voice, but if you’re talking to God about how thankful you are, that’s your heart glorifying God). Everything about you is a gift from God. A gift you should be thankful for. If you think about it, when we dwell on the things we dislike about ourselves we are telling God that He made a mistake because we are viewing our opinions higher than His. We are telling God~I don’t believe what Your word says about me. I don’t believe You. But, if we view the things about ourselves that we are happy with and we thank God for them, we are actually glorifying Him through that thanksgiving. I Thessalonians 5:18, Philippians 4:11 ⁃ Realize your mind is your enemy, she is not. She probably has issues deep down inside just like you do. Learn to renew your mind daily by feeding it with Gods word. (Which goes back to tip #2) Romans 12:2. If we don’t love ourselves exactly the way God made us, how can we possibly love others like Christ does? Like we’re supposed to? Resentment, jealousy and comparison will continually steal our joy. Matthew 22:39. Tell the “her” in your life how awesome she is. Tell her how much you appreciate her attributes. Stop that lady in front of you in line and let her know how beautiful she looks today. This is another way you can not only glorify God, but lift up another sister who might be going through a hard time just like you. You will be amazed at how much this will not only bless her, but bless you as well. Ephesians 2:10, Isaiah 52:7 ⁃ Realize social media, television and other people’s opinions are not what defines you. God is Who defines you. When God looks at us He sees His image. He sees the blood of His Son and the redemption it brings. He gives glorious liberty to help us get past that comparison. He sees a precious soul He loves. He knows everything about you. He knows every thought you have and He understands. He knows every word you will speak. He’s aware of every single one of your ways. And He loves you. Not the you that you wish you could be, the you that is reading this right now. Psalm 139:1-4, Genesis 1:27, Ecc 3:11, Psalm 90:17, Romans 8:21, 27, 29 Obviously I’m not talking about things that God has given us the ability to work on and change ie~ “well God made me a liar, so I’m going to perfect it and be thankful for that attribute.” Or “God made me lazy, so I’ll just lay here rejoicing in that.” “God created me to love junk food so I don’t have to listen to my doctor’s warnings about my health.” Etc. I’m talking about comparison in areas that God intricately designed us to be. Our ultimate goal~Be holy as God is holy. Not~ be like Sandy or Becky, Amy or Julie. Just Jesus. Period. You know what all those comparison wishes are? They’re whispers from Satan. They hit you when you least expect it and can change your entire day. You lose all joy and end up feeling defeated instead of praising God for the person He created you to be. The person you are. You are a living gospel message. You are you. Fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image. Do you know what the word fearfully means in Psalm 139? It means~ “in a manner to impress admiration”. 🥰 You are you. A child of the most high God. His perfect blueprint. Marvelous and precious. Don’t ever forget that, it will change your life. Last week I shared with you something that really, truly changed my life. Reading through the Bible in 60 days. Yep. The WHOLE bible in only 60 days. Click here to read that post~ And here is the link to the plan I followed~ I'm reading the @YouVersion plan 'Power Read The Bible In 60 Days With Jeff Anderson'. Check it out here: https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/12221  I highly recommend it for everyone! One thing that stood out to me was how often I read the words~ glorify, praise and thanksgiving. This was something I knew I had read before, but after reading large amounts of scripture every day~ it really stuck with me. It was a continual theme. I was reading it over and over and over. And my heart was convicted. This was something I wasn’t doing enough of. I did plenty of asking but I wasn’t glorifying, praising and thanking God enough. I had made the majority of my prayer life all about petitions instead of taking the time to fall on my knees in thankfulness. So today I want to share something else that truly changed my life. Instead of petitioning God, I simply sat and thanked Him. I was amazed at the many things that came to mind. I probably could’ve sat all day praising and thanking Him~ and it changed me. After thanking Him over and over for the countless blessings He has bestowed upon me, my heart knew without a shadow of a doubt that He would take care of my usual requests and burdens. My heart was joyful. It was light. It was free from stress and anxiety. It was free from burdens. I knew He was in complete control and I could let go. I could simply say thank you with a peace that passed all understanding. And so, I want to give you some tips that helped me on my new journey of thankfulness and release. ⁃ Find a quiet place that is free from distractions. A place for just you and Jesus. (For me this is my bedroom) ⁃ The first thing I always do is ask the Holy Spirit for help. I ask the Holy Spirit to speak deeply to my soul. To clear my heart and mind of distractions and help me to focus only on Jesus. ⁃ Next, I talk to Jesus as if He is sitting right next to me, because He is! The Bible tells me He will never leave me and I truly believe He is with me every moment of every day. ⁃ I then start thanking God. At first it was hard because I immediately wanted to petition Him on behalf of loved ones, friends and circumstances. So, I continued to ask the Holy Spirit to guide me. Even if you find yourself distracted or disconnected, don’t stop. Keep thanking Him. ⁃ I started with things that were right in the room with me, things that we so easily take for granted. My bed, clothing, a closet for those clothes, a warm comforter etc. then my home and all that He provides for me inside that home. By focusing on what’s right in front of you, God will open your eyes to a world of thankfulness. ⁃ I then moved my focus beyond that as I looked outside. The sunshine, the blue skies and cotton candy clouds. The birds singing. The rooftop of our precious church. ⁃ I then moved my focus beyond that to my wonderful hometown. My neighbors, our farms and beaches, rivers and lake. ⁃ I then thanked God for my sweet family. My husband, children and grandchildren. My dad and brothers. My in-laws and cousins. My aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews. ⁃ Make this a habit you practice at least once a week. ⁃ ⁃ The more I thanked God, the deeper my soul felt that thankfulness. I found myself weeping as I thanked Him for each thing, but especially for His Son dying for me on the cross. For giving me the gift of eternal life at such a cost. For loving me despite myself. ⁃ Some of you might not know where to start when it comes to prayer and others might feel like this is too simple. These are just a few of the tips that helped me. I hope you get the idea. Something completely different might work better for you. You might be reading this and thinking that it’s easy for me to be thankful because of how many blessings I have, but you find yourself in a dark, lonely place filled with heartache. Can I tell you my friend that even there you can find the light. You can find your way out of the dark if you give Jesus your hand. Take it one step at a time. Thank Him for being there with you. In your quiet place. Just you and Jesus. You are not alone. Thank Him for dying for you. Thank Him that no matter how dark things seem right now, His gift of salvation has given you light and peace for all eternity. If His redeeming love and forgiveness is something you have never experienced, I urge you to reach out to me. I would love to share the gospel with you. I would love for you to know my Jesus and the thankfulness my heart feels. There is no doubt that as you go about your day, loved ones and friends, burdens or circumstances will come to the forefront of your heart. Choose to remain thankful each time. Thank God for the burdens He places upon your heart, for the circumstances He placed you in, for that person He gave you to love. Thank Him all day long as you go about each task. The more you say thank you, the more thankful you become. Guys, I promise it will change your life!
4/8/2020
Everything Will ChangeEVERYTHING WILL CHANGE
2 minute read When my husband’s sister passed away in 2003, all our lives were torn apart. Everything changed. She left behind 6 children. Her youngest only 6 days old. I saw how it affected my husband and my children. I saw how it affected her husband, her children, her parents and siblings, her church family. I saw how it affected me. I decided my life would be different. I would give of myself more. I would invest in other’s lives. I would spend more quality time with my children instead of stressing over a clean house, schedules and “to do’s”. I would love on my husband more fiercely, forgive more readily. I wouldn’t get irritated and argue with him over stupid things. I would be selfless and put his needs before my own. Because I did not know how much time I had left with the ones I loved, and I wanted it to be precious. Yes everything changed.... for a while. Slowly, as the years went by and life became more normal again~ I forgot those decisions. And every once in a while my heart would be pricked, because I wasn’t following through. I always blew it off. Surely God understood how busy I was~ I had schedules to keep. I had a house to keep clean. I had too much on my plate to help that person. I had every right to get irritated with my husband. But deep down, I knew that wasn’t true. We make the time for the ones we love. We forgive, we give of ourselves, we love selflessly. Deep down, I knew~ I just loved myself more. As we sit in our houses and reflect on this time~As we think about our lives and what will change~As we pray desperately for the safety of our loved ones~As we give God our moments~As we search His promises for peace~As we watch the news and cry and pray~As we realize how very precious our families truly are~As our eyes are opened to what is most important in our lives. Let’s not ever forget. One year from now. Two years from now. If and when our lives become our normal again. We cannot ever forget. We will make new choices. We will determine to put God first. To spend time with Him. To make the time for our children despite our list of “to-do’s” and love on our spouses more fiercely. We will determine to forgive more readily. We will not allow busyness to take over our family time. We will give of ourselves to others. Until we don’t. Until the years go by and we slowly forget this horrible, terrible, life changing virus that has encapsulated our entire world. Because our lives will be our normal again. But for some, their lives will forever be changed because this virus took someone that was precious to them. Mark this day and the next and the next. Write notes in your bible to remember. Take pictures. Cut out newspaper articles. Create memories. Remember. Please remember. And pray for the future God has for us. Pray that we don’t ever forget. And one day, let us look back on our memories and notes and pictures. Let us relive it and be reminded how good God is to us. How much He has blessed us with. Then hug on your babies a little tighter. Kiss on your spouse a little longer. Give of yourself to your neighbors a little more and give God every part of every day. Because we don’t know how much time we have left. Maybe this virus has made us all more aware and because of that, we can be thankful, because of that~ Everything will change. |
© 2020 HOLDING HOPE