Happy Mother’s Day!

‘Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.’ Proverbs 31:30

Happy Mother’s Day!

 

My heart is thinking of every mom celebrating today:

First time Moms, New Step-Moms, Adoptive Moms, Stand-In Moms like Mentors and Friends and Moms who have been in the game longer than they care to count

Motherhood is a blessed responsibility – a true gift from God

There is no playbook – not even within families

Each child is unique in their own way – and so too are all you Moms

I celebrate you all today!

Happy Mother’s Day!

 

My heart is full of prayers

I am thinking of every Mom whose Mother’s day is forever changed.

I am praying for those who are experiencing the first Mother’s Day without their Mom.

I am praying for the countless Moms who are experiencing their first Mother’s Day without one of their children.

 

The first birthday, the first Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year; the first Valentine’s Day, Easter or any special day that you used to spend with that loved one - it does not get easier.

           

And while every experience is unique, I can relate on a personal level. I have been thinking about my Mom a great deal lately. She was my absolute heart. And while I miss her tremendously [this my first Mother’s Day without her on this earth], I know she is rejoicing today - at home, in heaven with Jesus and her Mom.

           

I honor you all this Mother’s Day –

Today, I am praying that you all have a blessed day

Whether you are reflecting on past memories; or if you are still blessed with the ability to create new memories with your Mom and/or children - may it be a day of peace, joy and relaxation.

 

Happy Mother’s Day & God Bless!

covenant

‘I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it shall be for the sign of covenant between Me and the earth.’ Genesis 9:13

Happy Monday!

I hope your day is off to a great start as we March forward into the week … [weak pun intended]

This will be a quick post because I have much to do – have to slay some school work

As a side note – it is never too late to accomplish a personal goal; keep going until you have obtained it

But I digress – today I wanted to share some spectacular artwork

Artwork which inspired thoughts of our  Covenant-Keeping God

 

I walked out this morning and saw this beautiful artwork next door.

It made me smile – so much so that I had to go inside, get my phone and take a picture

Counting, hearts, stars, someone with glasses, tic-tac-toe, a friend waving hello!, another with arms open wide and ...

Yes! There is a little person in a rainbow boat in the background

 

As I am writing this post, I am listening to Edward Rivera singing a version of the song Nothing Else. And the line being repeated over and over is this: ‘Take me back, take me back ... take me back to my first love’

So what does this have to do with my master artists next door?

Sometimes, to get back to that first love – you have to go back to your first thoughts

‘you have left your first love … you have abandoned the love you had at first …

repent … go back and do the works you did at first’

Revelation 2:4-5 [AMP & ESV]

Sometimes we have to go back to being like a child,

with an innocent and hope-filled view of the world

Where is that enthusiastic, wide-eyed approach that we once had - to life and love and God?

Sometimes we need to pause and just count to ten – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …

Sometimes we just need to look at hearts and stars – and draw a few

Sometimes we have to use our imagination and … ride in boats made of rainbows

Don’t we need that sometimes?

When it feels like we’re sinking – to be reminded that His covenant literally carries us

It is the vessel which safely allows us to navigate the storms of life

It is supposed to start raining soon,

And, unfortunately that precious sidewalk chalk masterpiece will fade away

But it has accomplished its task: beautifying the world, inspiring hope and coaxing a smile

          from someone who needed to smile ... me

Many things will fade in this earth

Let us make sure our hope and joy are not among that list

Let us believe, with child-like faith, that anything is possible, even sailing in rainbows

Let us forever remember His covenant with us and commitment to us will never fade

 

Have a Blessed Day!

 

‘you have only a little strength,

yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name.’

Revelation 3:8

THE WORD OF GOD

 Merry Christmas!

I pray all is going well with you this morning –

I know some of you are well into December 25^th at this point

When my sons spoke to their dad yesterday, he was already enjoying Christmas morning

In fact, he was out doing his morning exercises

I think it is admirable that he does not break routine even on Christmas Day

Yet – there was One who broke routine on the very first Christmas so long ago

Jesus came to break our routine

His birth separated time – his actions reflected in His name ‘Emmanuel’

 

The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us

The beginning of that section of scripture notes:

‘In the beginning as the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ John 1:1-5

 

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD HAD COME

Jesus – the light of the world – had come for us all

AND HE STILL SHINES!

 

Everything He was, He still is and shall be forever –

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forevermore [Hebrews 13:8]

He is still Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace

What a tremendous blessing!

 

This morning –

Whether you are just starting your Christmas morning,

Or whether you are moving toward the end of your Christmas day;

May the blessings of the LORD abound in your heart and home, today and always

May the Blessing from the LORD – Jesus Christ – be the center of your focus

I pray you have a tremendously blessed day today

 

Merry Christmas!

 

‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher our faith …’  Hebrews 12:2

THE WONDER

Good Morning!

I pray all is going well with you this morning –

Do you believe it is December 24^th ?

It is not the ‘night before Christmas’ as the famous old poem notes, 

But, it is the morning before Christmas –

The little ones are waking up with anticipation – one more day until Christmas!

The ‘big’ ones are waking up with trepidation – still a few more gifts to get & planning to do

The season continues to awaken the feelings of awe & wonder

CHRISTMAS EVE is here!

 

It truly is a WONDER-FILLED time of year

A time of year where we can and should focus on the overwhelming LOVE OF GOD

But this takes effort – especially in a year like 2020

There are so many distractions & things that try to steal the wonder of this season:

Perhaps you have some errands to run this morning –

Perhaps Christmas is not looking quite the way you would have imagined or desired

Perhaps you are feeling a bit underwhelmed due to challenges and loss

            I know it is difficult

This is my first Christmas without my mom, where I will not get to see her sweet face on Christmas day – the very first time in forty-nine years

But I know, she is having a glorious time in heaven this Christmas

My circumstances do not define His nature or character

 

‘Who is like You, O LORD …

majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?’

Exodus 15:11

Know this today –

The Wonderful Counselor is still very much in the business of working WONDERS

May the God of all peace guard your hearts and minds this Christmas Eve

I pray you will stay safe and that joy will abound!

 

Have a Blessed Day

     Wishing You Much Love!

‘Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is  right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things’ 

Philippians 4:8

REJOICE!

Good Morning!

I pray all is going well with you this morning –

It is the middle of the week

And, the message today is short and sweet: REJOICE!

Remember it is not about where you are or what you have –

Jesus was born in a manager yet was still abundantly blessed

There are a million reasons to REJOICE!

Have a Blessed Day!

‘Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: 

“The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things”’

Psalm 118:15

‘Rejoice in the LORD always; again I say, Rejoice!’  Philippians 4:4

BLESSINGS THAT BAFFLE

Greetings Friends …

I pray all is well with you tonight - 

It has been a while since I’ve written

This has been a challenging year … to put it mildly

Yet, something gripped me today was I was listening to music and working

 

I was listening to a compilation of songs by Elevation Worship and Chandler Moore and in that video, they start singing a blessing:

‘The LORD bless you, and keep you,

Make His face shine upon you … and be gracious to you

The LORD turn His face toward you … and give you peace’

 

The blessing was not the part that gripped me.

I have prayed that same blessing many times – over my friends here

No – it was something else and not just the words of a verse

 

As they continued, this chorus resounded:

May His favor be upon you and a thousand generations,

And your family and your children and their children, and their children

May His presence go before you, and behind you, and beside you, all around you, and within you – 

He is with you, He is with you

In the morning and the evening,

In your coming and your going, in your weeping and rejoicing

He is for you … He is for you

 

And in an instant – I was completely overcome and undone

The words of that song took on such great depth and perspective

I suddenly found myself effortlessly transitioning from singing to praying … to crying; intense in prayer … in the natural and in the spirit

And even though I was the one praying – it took me by surprise

 

You see – today – I was not praying for myself,

I was not praying for my three sons

I was not praying for my dad or my best friend

I was not praying for my friends here

No – I found myself instead, praying with tear-filled eyes

            For every person who hates me

            For those who despise the very thought of me

            For those who have plotted and conspired against me

 

In the past – I have prayed for those who do not know Him

I have prayed they would have a genuine encounter with Him

And I thought I was doing something ‘good’ … because I could not bring myself to pray for the destruction of those who come against me –

But it is not enough to not pray for destruction

            There must be prayer for direction, for protection, for construction

 

Anyone in Christ is a new creation

The old is passed away … all things are new

II Corinthians 5:17

 

That is what was special and different about today –

I am not certain I can fully convey what transpired

Something snapped … in a good way!

I found myself keenly aware that – as I sang and cried and prayed –

As I made declarations for people who hate me…

Something profound was happening in the spirit, in the heavenly realm

 

I can pray for change in the world

But true change in the world begins with change inside of individuals

And that is only found in Christ

 

‘Bless those who curse you and do good to them that hate you …’ Matthew 5:43-47

 

BLESSINGS!

BLESSINGS THAT BREAK THE BACK OF CURSES

But my prayer is not just for an introduction or an encounter –

I was – and am – praying for the kind of blessings that chase you down & overtake you

The kind of blessings that surround you and envelope you

BLESSINGS THAT BAFFLE THE MIND!

 

May His favor be upon you as well my friends –

For your family, and your children, and their children, and their children

 

Have a Blessed Evening!