Hallowed Be Thy Name

"Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed by thy name." What does hallowed mean and how does it apply to our relationship to God. Let's start off the week learning about God and His holiness. Hallowed means to honor as holy, greatly revered or respected. Are you honoring God as holy? Is He greatly revered and respected? What are you doing to show Him your reverence? Are you holy?

In Leviticus 20:7-8, the Lord says: "Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy." To consecrate means to dedicate formally to a divine purpose. Do you realize you have a divine purpose? The only way to accomplish that purpose is to be holy (morally and spiritually excellent).

How in the world can we as mere humans be excellent? Lord knows as hard as I try I miserably fail at being excellent, especially when it comes to the battle between the flesh and the spirit. So how can this be accomplished? Go back to that verse and read it again. "Keep my decrees and follow them." The first step to holiness is obedience. Are you being obedient?

Even with obedience, we all struggle with the feeling of being LESS than holy. I know "HOLY" is not a word I would ever use to describe myself. No matter how hard I try, I just seem to fall short in that category. There are times I just kill myself working so hard at being "morally and spiritually excellent". I ware myself out trying.

But... maybe what I need to do (maybe you as well), is take a look at this verse in Leviticus. Read the very last section of that scripture. "I am the Lord, WHO MAKES YOU HOLY." You see, holiness is not something we attain on our own. Yes, we are to be obedient. Yes, we are to revere and respect God. But HOLINESS comes straight from God. It isn't an accomplishment we can attain on our own. It is a GIFT from God. HE makes ME (and you) holy!! Isn't that just exciting?

Let's put the first part of our study on prayer to work today. "Our Father, which art in heaven, HALLOWED be they name." Respect and revere God today by letting Him have His place and CONTROL in your life today. Be obedient and let HIM make you holy today. The way to let Him make you holy is to let Him have His way.

Our first step in prayer, is complete surrender to God. Are you letting God take control of your life today? Lord, I respect and honor you. The best way for me to honor you today is to let you control my life. Make me holy, make me morally and spiritually excellent today.

Getting to the Root

Who would have thought that pulling one little tooth could have caused this much pain?!?! It kind of reminds me of one bad apple can ruin the whole bushel. What are the rotten areas lingering in your life? Do you have decay in just one "little" area? Be careful, it can infect your entire being...

As embarrassing as it is to admit, I had a tooth that broke off cause it was so decayed. The dentist had to go in and remove it, even cut pieces away from the bone. Why? Because the tooth had begun to fuse with the bone and be part of it. There was so much blood and decay, he had to go in 2 days later and remove the hidden leftovers. There is still one piece he didn't get... not because he couldn't, but because it was so close to my sinuses, there was risk of putting a hole in my sinuses if he tried to get it out. And that, would take much longer and be much more painful to heal. Man, this one little tooth has messed with my whole body.

You see. My bad tooth was a result of braces left on too long and unattended. I had neglected regular visits to the dentist because of finances. Eventually what was supposed to shape and retrain my teeth, ended up being a place for remaining particles of the junk I ate, to congregate. By the time I removed my braces, (yes I removed them), the damage was done. My tooth was already on its way to decay. Years went by, I left the decay unattended. The tooth eventually became too weak. It was annoying! I could feel the sharp edges where the rotten parts were eating away the smooth tooth and creating sharp edges.

Once the tooth broke, it was too late for there to be a clean removal. I tried my hardest to remove the tooth myself to avoid the expense of a dentist... but it was too late. I had to go have the dentist remove the roots. My roots had grown to my jaw bone. He had to drill the tooth away from the bone. As I said before, one piece was so deep it had to be left. There was so much blood and decay, there was no way to see all the pieces until after I had a little time to heal. Then I had to go back, open the wound and have the remaining pieces, the additional decay removed...talking about pain!!!

Let's think of that from a spiritual perspective. I wonder if I even need to explain. Are you seeing it already? When we neglect the things in life that are supposed to be helpful, we are like that bracket that instead of shaping and correcting the problem, created a place for the bad particles to collect. Then, hmm.. we try to take things into our own hands. Let's see... we haven't been having our prayer and study time, someone hurts us.. and instead of going to God, we try to ignore it. The more we ignore it, the more it builds up. Then, we try to take care of it ourselves. Remove it.

Are there things building up in your life? Have you neglected your spiritual life so long, you are starting to decay spiritually? Have you tried to fix things on your own, only to find that there is still a root of sin or bitterness left causing infection to the rest of your body? Are there pieces of hurt, resentment, so deep that digging them out would put a hole in something that would take so much longer to heal? Maybe you have just been in one place so long, you are starting to fuse with it? Even if you aren't supposed to? Are you getting to the root?

Let God be your spiritual dentist. Let Him remove the decay from your life. God is a caring "dentist" he knows that you may not be able for Him to dig it all out at once. He knows that the pain, the the blood from the wound, makes it hard to remove everything at once. He has an open door policy, once He starts a work, He is always willing to finish it... AS LONG AS YOU LET HIM!

Here is the thing... don't be like I was with my tooth. Don't wait too long! Don't let other things take precedence. Don't wait till the decay effects other parts of your body. See.. if I had been to the dentist when this first started, he could have cleaned out the cavity and filled it. I wouldn't have had to lose my tooth. What are your spiritual "cavities" today? Let the Dentist scrape away the empty cavities of your life and become your "filling".  Be proactive spiritually. Make regular visits to the Dentist. Brush your life with daily cleaning, floss the crevices to get the hidden particles that can damage you, rinse your mouth with the control of the Holy Spirit. Don't let your roots decay! I can tell you, the pain is much worse when you let things go, rather than handing them over to God and letting Him fill your life.

Brush up with God today!

What's in Your Mouth?

What's in your mouth? Are you chewing on the right things today? Who are you letting feed you today? Read on as we share about letting God be the one to fill our mouths with His best...

I was praying about what God wanted me to post today. Honestly, I don't FEEL like being much of an encouragement today. I don't even FEEL very "Christian" today. I just want to gripe, complain, and pull the covers over my head so I don't see the things that need to be done. I am late for work, my mouth hurts from a dental procedure I had... OOPS! See?!?! There I go with the complaining!

While praying, God asked me, "What do YOU need today?" Now that is a thought, if I am in need of something from God today, maybe someone else might need that exact same thing today. My answer, "I just need some encouragement God!"

HE IS SO FAITHFUL! While praying over words to share today, God directed me to open my Bible. Right there, highlighted in yellow were these words in Jeremiah 1:5-9:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

 "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."


 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.


Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth.

All we have to do is just ask God to place His words in our mouth. I look over even this morning and the words I used with my kids. Were they edifying? Did they build up? What am I professing? Is it victory? Or is it complaints?

What's in your mouth today? Are you claiming the power in being set apart by God before you were even formed in your mother's womb? There is power in words! Let that power be directly placed in your mouth by God today!

Change Just Means You Aren't Running Around With a Flat Tire

We don't seem to be creatures who welcome change. I don't know what it is about us, but we tend to like the predictability of the normal, expected, the usual. It is easier to plan when you know the routine. There is security in knowing what will come next. Even when things are always going wrong, there is stability in things remaining that way... cause it is familiar.

I started writing this post to talk about some of the changes that I hope to implement for SHINE and all the sudden, God started turning in the direction of speaking o this matter of change. You see, I know from experience how easy it is to get into a rut and run around on a "flat." Some call it "victim mentality" other's call it a "string of bad luck" and then there is the one popular in my family, "family curse." No matter what you call it, so many of us have this tendency to get comfortable in our negative circumstances that we can't make the changes necessary to bring success back into our lives.

I know, I know... many of you may argue that what I am saying is insane. There is no way that anyone in their right mind would want to run around with the proverbial "flat".. or is there? Sometimes the attention that comes from staying in the same rut, is more satisfying than the upheaval of making the needed change. Running around with a flat brings much more attention than a vehicle with a new set of tires... and it gets more sympathy too.

What am I saying? Sometimes change is good. Sometimes it is the needed accountability to make a difference in life. If you are running around with a flat tire, then you have an excuse for not completing your journey, but when you have new tires, full or air, then there are NO excuses for not getting to your destination.

So, it is time for some changes. No more excuses for not trying! It's time to fill up our tires and get moving on this journey. God doesn't get any glory from those of us sitting on the side of the road looking for someone to "pump us up". His glory comes when we let HIM be the air in our tires and wheels to our journey.

And oh, about those changes. Guess I will save that for another post. Enjoy the journey today my dear sisters!

Progress..Where Does It Need to Be?

Progress! It is a good thing. Yet, so often we are so down on ourselves that we are blinded to our own progress. Do you think maybe it is because we are striving so badly for perfection instead? Do you think that we are looking so deeply for perfection that the progress just becomes oversight?

Let me just give you an example. I have been so discouraged that my posts to SHINE haven't been more frequent. I know I have a busy schedule, etc., but I just feel so inconsistent. I want to do it ALL right. So as I was looking around on the blog to make some the changes that need to be made, I realized that I have made 65 posts since 2008. That doesn't seem like much, but the cool part of it was that the number has increased. It hasn't been a lot... but it has been more each year.

2008= 20 posts

2009= 24 posts

2010= 25 posts... and the year isn't over yet.

You see, God so generously showed me that I AM MAKING PROGRESS!

Now, there are a million things that I need to grow in. I need to be more disciplined. I need better motivation. I need more energy. I need to be better organized. Oh yes, I have made progress in each of those areas, I see now... but I haven't attained a level I where am content yet. And, each of those areas spill over into my spiritual life.

Here is something God showed me the other day. We get so busy trying to do EVERYTHING that we never focus on one thing long enough to master it. We are all so should I say, "spiritually ADD," that we hop from one area to another without ever finding victory in any.

The one area I think God wants me to work on is consistency... isn't that funny considering my worries with this blog! However, I prayed that God would show me the one area that needs work where all the other areas will fall into place... and CONSISTENCY was it for me.

So, here is my request as well as a challenge for you. Please lift me up in this area. THE REQUEST: When you think of me, see me, see a post, see the word SHINE anywhere... lift up a prayer that God will help me find consistency. THE CHALLENGE: Ask God what the one area is that you need to focus on. Then, when you figure it out, post it here so that we can keep each other lifted up in prayer.

I would love for us all to look back at this post at the end of the year and be able to use it as a measuring tool of the progress God has done in our lives! What is your need? Let's lift each other up and remember that it isn't about perfection, it's about the progress!

Trying to Get There

I never thought I would be someone who enjoys quiet time so much. Usually I can't stand it, because I like having someone to talk to. Imagine that! Me a talker! (Smiles and snickers!) But today I felt an unusual drawing to just really focus on my quiet time with God. I have grown to love this alone time; because I do have someone to talk to... and He talks back!

As I was talking to God this morning, I poured out my heart of the things I know I need to work on. Certain areas of my life just seem to get in the way of being the woman I want to be. Un-organization, un-discipline, impulsivity... the list goes on. As I was praying about where and who I needed to be in Christ, I said to Him, "I'm trying to get there Lord. I'm working on it!"

Do you ever feel like that? Wondering why you can't get there? Why you have to work so hard at it? Do you feel like in order to receive God's blessings, to have the "rite" of passage into the desires of your heart, there is some huge thing you have to work to do to get there?

I so often feel like that. I feel like I will never "get there". There are so many things in my life that need perfecting. How can God use me like I am? How can He influence others for good when so many things about me are so bad? If I just had a little more motivation, discipline, passion! Why would God bless me with the things I need or want when I can't take care of the things I have now? I have to act right and be right for Him to give me the things in life I need.

God whispered...

That's right, I got quiet and He whispered to my heart. This is what He said, "Baby girl! Have you not learned this by now? It's not about what you do, it's about who you are. When I put Adam and Eve in the garden, what did I ask of them? I placed them where I wanted them, took care of them, walked with them, loved on them... not because of anything they did; not because they were trying to do anything."

It's amazing how clear things can be when GOD speaks them. I pondered for a while on that this morning. Here is what God is showing me. The only thing that kept Adam and Eve from God's blessings, provision, and ability to walk closely with Him... was their sin and disobedience. It wasn't the things they did to work hard at being His children. WE DON'T HAVE TO WORK AT BEING GOD'S CHILDREN... we already ARE. (Those who have accepted and repented of course.)

The only thing God wants me to do, is keep sin out of my life and be obedient. His blessings don't hinge on if I got my house cleaned up this weekend, or if I agreed to do that Bible study, or even if I went to church this morning. I CANNOT work for His blessings. Just as He did with Adam and Eve.. they are part of the package. He WANTS to take care of me. He wants to bless me.

Yes, God wants us to keep sin out of our lives. He wants us to be obedient. But even when Adam and Eve directly disobeyed God, He still took care of them. He still provided for them. For goodness sakes, He made them clothes! Where there new obstacles to overcome after their disobedience? YES! But what I believe God wanted me to see this morning is that MY WORK is not what is going to make or break His blessings on me. My obedience on the other hand, and sin in my life... that is a different story.

So, is my house being a mess a sin? No, it is a direct result of my un-organization. Should I think God isn't going to bless me and help me with the leaky faucet just because I have clothes piled up on my bed? Of course not!

So what is my point? Maybe we waste time trying to get there and forget about the actual journey itself. Do I need to learn to keep a better house? Yes of course. But is it going to keep me from being God's child and Him providing for me? No.

I am using my own personal example of things that bother me most; but each of you has that one thing that makes you sit and think, "Oh God will never help me with this until I do...." God wants to pour His blessings out on His children. He wants to take care of us. He wants us to grow in Him. But, He doesn't want us so busy with getting there, that we forget who He is and how much He loves us.

I don't know if this has helped anyone or not today. Sometimes when God speaks to me, I feel it so internally that it is hard to put an external explanation on it. But, I know God wanted me to share... and it's all about obedience, right?

How Can I Get Where You Are?

Someone sent me a FLOORING message on Facebook.

The thing that was so flooring is that this person saw me so much differently than I see myself. But, the questions that were posed hit me deeply and I really feel it may help to share the discussion with you all. OF COURSE, I am not going to betray who sent me the message... but I want to share it because I think we all need to see what sphere of influence we have, sometimes without even

knowing it.

Here is what I was asked:

How can I get where you are? I mean, how can I get that feeling of total love and trust from God? Is it something you work at? Is it reading the Bible often and talking to God? Or is it a gift from God? I've always been close to God but I've yet to get that feeling that so many people I know gets....I want to be so much more like you but I just don't know how.

So here was my answer:

I am floored! I struggle EVERY day! My first thought is the verse, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." There are some key words in that... ALL your heart, OWN understanding, in ALL they ways, ACKNOWLEDGE Him. Honestly.. some days, it is just self talk. It is a daily choice and I have to proclaim it over and over again. So I have increased that proclamation by praising and acknowledging Him on FB as well as as much as comes out of my mouth as possible.

There are days that I want to post the most negative things on here. Like, how can so and so claim to be a Christian and drag me down with their insane hypocrisy; or how I feel like a horrible mother cause my house is a mess and my kids have smart mouths; or how I would just like to strangle ...(that part was left out to protect the NOT SO innocent). BELIEVE ME... I am so far from THERE... whatever that is.

I have spent the past 4 years finding my happiness and value from one man to the next, giving myself over to "slipping" in the moment and wallowing in guilt for the next two weeks until the moment hits again. And then living the space in between each relationship, spending my nights bawling and screaming out to God wanting someone just to hold me. Does that sound like a feeling of total love and trust to you?

BUT... God has brought me SOOOO far over the past few years. I feel like I hit rock bottom and am slowly climbing back where God wants me to be.. but HE is SOOOO gracious. When I think I am at my worst... as long as I am willing, He seems to use me in the craziest ways.

I know I am babbling maybe.. but it is so hard to explain... cause as much as I love God, I fail Him over and over. But, you asked me about that feeling of total love and trust. I think that part of that has come from just spending time in Bible Study.. I don't mean "devotions" I mean taking even one verse and looking at the meaning of each word. That has helped me so much. I am seeing how LOVING God is more and more.

The other thing I do, is really imagine God as my DADDY.. not my Father, but my daddy. When I can't go anywhere else I literally imagine myself as a little girl and climbing up in His lap and letting Him just put His arms around me and hold me tight, rock me, or just lift me up above His head and twirl me around. I know that sounds a little silly, but somehow, when I think of God that way... which He REALLY is that way... it teaches me to trust Him and love Him more. The other thing I do is imagine dancing with God. I imagine stepping on His toes and dancing with Him. I imagine literally dancing with God.. carefree. It actually helps me release those things that are holding me down.

That may sound so silly to you... but all I know is that THIS imperfect, insecure, impatient, impulsive woman would not be able to face each day without the love of my "DADDY" and knowing that I would just be a screw up without HIS plan for my life.

I struggle with the battle between the FLESH and the SPIRIT. It is so hard on the days I feel bad to FEEL like I am a "worthy" Christian. Some days I feel like SUPER-SPIRITUAL WOMAN and other days I FEEL like I am the biggest screw up on the face of the earth.. .the key is FEEL. I have to make myself move beyond FEEL to KNOW. And I know that Jesus bought me with a price, He CHOSE me, and He cared enough about ME.. ME.. this crazy insane "fat" girl... to plan my future before I was even a thought in my mother's little girl desires to be a mommy one day.

I don't know if this has helped you or not. But.. .it is my heart. Remember, what you see on the outside and THINK people are feeling... may not be what it seems. I have found that some of the most "seemingly" secure Christians struggle with doubt and insecurity. Not one of us are perfect... if we were, we wouldn't need HIM!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate you thinking of me. God is opening up my world in such a REAL way. If I can do nothing else, I want to be REAL with others so that they can be prompted.. or comfortable to be REAL with God and each other. We have enough fakes in this world.

My friend told me this yesterday when we were talking about comparing ourselves to other Christians who seemed to GET what we don't... and this is what she said:

"The only comparing you should do is the person that you are now and the person you know God wants you to be."

It isn't what Suzie Homemaker is, or Connie Corporate, or Anna Amazing-mom, or Christina Christian... You see what I mean? Just be YOU... be the YOU that God made you to be! FIND THE YOU in YOU! FIND YOUR PLACE IN GOD!

I am only posting because there is no way for anyone to really know who it is. But... I really feel it is important for us all to remember that it is our EVERY DAY LIFE that is making impressions on others... good or bad. I just had a discussion today with someone who was so disappointed in some of the posts that were showing up from "Christians" on Facebook. But you know... even "Christians" are human and FB seems to be the place we vent without thinking about the effects.

Even as I read over my response, I think, "Maybe I didn't use enough scripture to back up my views like so and so would have." You see... it is like I heard this weekend from Lysa TerKeurst ...when Satan wants to discourage you by what someone else has that you don't... personality, skill, influence.. etc....YOU have to take authority and say to him, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" Don't let him discourage you like that. It is a matter of the mind and it is crucial that you let Jesus have control of your mind!

Sometimes I ramble.. but in it all, I hope you get the idea. BE YOU!!! That is who God made you to be. And, find security in YOUR DADDY! Climb up in His lap and enjoy His love and protection today!

Wasted Library

A dear friend and I have been working on a project that requires quite a bit of research. One of the things we have been doing is searching the goodwill and bookstores for hidden treasures of books on the subjects we are working on. We have been amazed at how many books we have found with extraordinary content. The most amazing things about the books is that most of them look as if they have never been touched.

Some of the books we have found have a bit of highlighting in them. Many of them have had the owners' name written in the front. A great deal of them will have a note, greeting card, or even a picture tucked away and forgotten between the pages. Still, many of them seem to have just been part of a wasted library and finally handed off to a bargain or thrift shop.

We decided that we would make an inventory of the books we have between us. That way we have an idea of all the resources we have. As I sat last night typing up my inventory, I realized that I have a wasted library as well. Many of the books on my own shelves are untouched, barely read, and sitting waiting to inspire and enlighten me. What a waste!

This morning God spoke to me about another "wasted library" in so many of our lives. This library is contained in one book and has a the best resources available to us. Are you following me yet? How many of you have access to this amazing library, but yet are letting it waste away? Yes, I think you know what I am talking about... it is YOUR Bible! Are you pages worn out and highlighted? Or, do you just have your name written in it to show you own access to it just in case you need it? Do you use it to tuck away special notes, pictures, and even obituaries of special people? Is your library in use?

God really pricked my heart this morning about this amazing resource that is so readily available to us all. It is full of romance, drama, self-help, motivation, mystery, action, history! Yet, we are letting this wonderful library He has given us go to waste! I challenge you today... open up this beautiful book and see what inspiration is there waiting just for you!

Take time right now. Grab your Bible. Close your eyes. Ask God to show you a beautiful story. Open your Bible. Discover the story God has for you today. No more wasted libraries!!!

If God be for us?

Isn't it a shame that we even have to ask, "if God be for us"? Although I think that question in the scripture is meant more as a rhetorical question, I believe many of us waste too much time wondering if God is really for us.

A dear friend started off my new year right by sending me this passage of scripture and told me to meditate on it. I challenge you to do the same:

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. "

-Romans 8:31-39

I am making this my passage of verses for 2009. When struggles come..."Who can separate us from the love of Christ?" No matter what we are going through, Christ's love is always surrounding us. I am determined that this year I will not ask... IF Christ is for me. I have decided to pull out this scripture through any time of doubt. I am determined to be reminded that "neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing" will be able to separate me from God's love.

Won't you take a look at this scripture today and ask God to show you this year how HE IS for you!

Clean Slate

As a new year begins, we all want to start over with a clean slate. Forget about the things in the past year that we screwed up on. It is time to create a new record, a new way of living. On the new year, we each resolve to change all the areas that need improvement. If only all the things we have done wrong over the past year could actually be wiped clean and forgotten!!

If you are like me, sometimes it is hard to press toward new and better goals for the haunting of all the things I have done wrong. At times, it is so much easier to look at all the areas in life where I have failed. Yes the last year has had many great strides in my personal, professional, and spiritual life... but for some reason, the failures are what stay impressed at the forefront of my memory.

One of my favorite scriptures is found in Isaiah. I love the way The Message just spits it out in such plain English:

"...you're my servant. I made you, shaped you: You're my servant... I'll never forget you. I've wiped the slate of all your wrongdoings. There's nothing left of your sins. Come back to me, come back. I've redeemed you." -Isaiah 44:21-22

Oh how wonderful to think that my slate has been wiped clean!! All I have to do is ask. Jesus has redeemed me and I can start over any time I need to. He is right there creating a clean slate for me to start walking in the right direction.

Yes, I have messed up many times over the past year. I could write you a list right there on that little chalkboard... but...LOOK... it has already been wiped clean!!! Let's take the clean slate God has given us today and begin writing a story to be proud of. God bless you this new year!

Maintenance Cream

Did you put on your make-up this morning? Did you take time to try to make yourself look beautiful? Did you use that special cream on your face this morning or last night? Was it age defying? Rejuvenating? Revitalizing? Is it supposed to give your skin a lift? Feel refreshing?

As I was laying in bed this morning listening to the falling rain, I decided to take time to listen to God. He spoke to me about my maintenance routine. On my way to work every morning, I make sure I use my special face cream, brush on a little powder, and put on my lipstick. I don't go anywhere without it.

Conviction seeps into my heart this morning. What kind of spiritual maintenance am I so faithful about? Ouch! Think about your own life today. Do you need to be more beautiful in your actions? Do you need rejuvenated? Revitalized? Refreshed? Do you need a lift?

Maybe you and I both need to focus on our spiritual beauty as much as our physical beauty. Maybe we need to use that spiritual preventative cream a little more often. This is my challenge to you. As you put on your make-up every day, let it be a reminder..."Did I put on my spiritual make-up?" If you don't spend any other time with God in the day, take the moments that you are working so hard on your outer beauty and spend that time in prayer. We need our spiritual maintenance cream far more than anything physical. Take time to read and listen to God today...He is the secret to youth, because with Him... we never die!

Because I Said So!!!

Don't you remember hearing those words growing up? And it wasn't like you could actually hear them the first 2-3 times they were said. For some reason, those words had to be almost yelled in frustration, before the fact that you weren't going to get a real explanation actually sunk in.

I can remember as a teenager thinking, "I am NEVER going to say that to my kids!" YEAH RIGHT!!!! Are you with me?

The other day I spent about an hour trying to explain to my son why he needed to accept what I was saying just "because I said so." He couldn't grasp the concept... I shouldn't be surprised. I didn't either at his age. I wanted him to understand that sometimes we just have to accept authority without knowing the reasons for it.

But after some discussions with friends, some research I have been doing for a project, and a recent bible study... I wonder if that REALLY is a good, or even healthy way to respond to our kids. Especially when it comes to spiritual matters.

Our kids grow up being taught to trust us on every level. Even those four little words are an expectation of trust for our children to have faith in all we do. Just do it, "Because I said so!" Just trust God, "because the Bible says so." Just accept our beliefs are right, "because the pastor said so." Jonah was in the belly of a whale, "because your Sunday school teacher said so." Santa is real, "because I said so." Oops... first of all... is everything we are telling our children true? Secondly, do you know why you believe certain things about your doctrine, or the Bible?

Are you believing things, because someone "said so?"

I have recently started going back to Bible college and the one thing I love is that we have been encouraged to do as the scripture says in I Thessalonians 5:21 "Prove all things; holdfast that which is good." Do you make sure what you have heard on Sunday morning IS REALLY what the scripture says? Or do you just accept what the preacher says and go on?

Here is where this gets scary for our children. More and more, kids are being taught within the education system to prove theories, test judgements, have a reason for EVERYTHING they do and EVERY belief they have. They are literally being taught that they MUST "prove all things." It gets seriously more intense by the time they are in college and are actually scrutinized if they can not PROVE their beliefs.

Are we possibly doing our children a disservice by teaching them to accept the answer, "because I said so?" I know when it comes to parenting, sometimes circumstances just don't hold for explanation and kids need to learn authority. But I am talking about the beliefs and morals, the education on daily spiritual living. Are we teaching them to really search the scriptures and KNOW why they say and believe what we "said so"?

Here is an even more convicting question... what are you just accepting because someone "said so"? Are you being lazy and just listening to someone else? OR are you really digging in deep and obeying the scripture to "prove all things"?

As wonderful as it is to have spiritual leaders and mentors, we know that there are many false teachings in churches, just like there are on college campuses. How about being an example for your children now and teaching them how to search the scriptures and be able to prove their beliefs. Can you?

Are You Listening?

My kids get home and it is non-stop chattering hitting me from all directions. I am overwhelmed and tired from my day and their incessant talking just seems to slip from three individual conversations to one HUGE chaotic annoyance. I can't tell you how many times they have looked at me and said, "Are you listening?" At that point I have to stop, focus, and really create a desire in myself to know what they are saying. And boy! Do they know the difference when I am really listening, rather than nodding my head in acknowledgment they are speaking, but not really paying attention to what their true desires, feelings and experiences of the day have been.

Are you listening? Are you hearing what is going on around you? Do you hear chaos? Or do you hear GOD today?

I know that just a few minutes ago, God really spoke to me about just listening. I was making my mental list of all I need to do... where I should be... what the week has ahead for me. But God wants my undivided attention today. Take this day and just LISTEN to GOD. Whatever it is your doing, open your ears and listen to God as you go through your day today. He has already shown me so wonderful insights just because I decided to focus my attention on listening to Him today. I am sure he will do the same for you today.

LISTEN TO GOD TODAY!

Stick in the Spokes

I was talking with a friend yesterday and God blessed me with such a wonderful analogy I just had to share it with you. We were talking about circumstances that just seem to bring our lives to a screeching halt. You know what I am talking about. We have all had them... a death in the family, a major disappointment, kids turning away, marriages broken, job loss... too many to list. Sometimes the events are HUGE and other times they are small. Either way, they turn our life upside down.

Let's imagine for a moment... since this is written to mainly women.. I am going to talk as such. Close your eyes and think about learning to ride a bike. I see this little girl about five or six with a pink skirt right above her knees. She has on a crisp white T-shirt with lace edging around the collar and sleeves. Her long blond hair is tied up in pigtails complete with pink bows tied to perfection. She is so excited because she has just learned how to ride her bike all by herself. Can't you just see her?

She is riding up and down her little gravel driveway. Each trip she gets braver and braver, pedaling faster and faster, even standing up as she pumps the pedals and feels the wind whisking through her flying pigtails. Her dad is sitting on the back steps with a big grin on his face as she is calling to him, "Look daddy how fast I can go!"

Then suddenly, somehow she accidentally runs over a stick in the road, it kicks up and gets caught in her spokes. The bike instantly comes to a screeching halt and she flies over the handlebars only to have gravel dig into her pretty little knees and elbows. Her perfect pigtails droop more like a pitiful puppy dog.

Her dad, of course, was already running to her rescue because he saw the stick as it was stopping her and was up on his way to care for her before she was even hurt. She is sitting there on the gravel, tears rolling down her face. She has blood on her elbows just enough to stain her pretty white shirt and knees skinned up just enough to burn. As her dad gets to her, she reaches up for her "daddy" just waiting to be comforted.

Her dad grabs her up in one swoop and holds her close as he pats her back and stokes the blond bangs out of her eyes. "It will be ok honey. Let's go get you cleaned up." He pulls her close as her tears of disappointment, pain and fear flow down her cheek.

They go in the house, he cleans up the mess she has made of her knees and elbows and wipes the blood off her pretty little shirt. He gets the band-aides... more than she needs of course, but enough to make her feel secure... puts them on the cuts and even the little scrapes, and kisses each "boo boo" to make it better. He gives her another reassuring hug and tells her sometimes that happens and we just have to get up and try again. With another kiss to the forehead he goes back outside and this time holds the bike and walks with her until she gains the confidence she needs to ride free again.

Do you know what I just did? I just described what our Heavenly Father does when we get a stick in our spokes. YOU are that beautiful little girl. Yes, you may have just flown off the handlebars of life right now. You are sitting there in tears. You have cuts and wounds... some may even leave scars. You may have stained up the pretty white shirt you love to wear. But I want you to know right now that GOD is running to you! He saw you getting ready to fall. He is reaching out to you, ready to pick you up.

God is saying to you right now, "It's ok honey. Let's go get you cleaned up."

You know all you have to do is reach out your arms! Let God pull you in close to Him. Let him wipe away your tears. Let him give you more band-aides that you even need. Let him kiss your boo boos. Rest in His caring arms today!

Yes... you will have to get back on the bike and ride again. But God is going to be right by your side. He is going to hold the bike again. He is going to be right by your side while you learn to ride with confidence again.

Don't give up on riding! It won't be long until you are riding carefree enjoying the breeze whisking through your hair again. God loves you. Let Him comfort you today!

God Doesn't Use Mapquest

Being the internet codependent junkie that I am, I always go online to get my mapquest directions when I am going somewhere unfamiliar. Whether it is a trip across town, or a long road trip, I just like to KNOW where I am going and HOW to get there.

This morning while praying about some "issues" life has thrown my way, I broke down in tears asking God for directions. I saw a HUGE green road sign as I was praying and said, "Lord why can't you just put a big green sign in front of my face like that, then I wouldn't be so confused on what path you want me to take." You see... I am so afraid of taking the wrong route that I am at the state of almost just being tormented.

At the moment the verses Proverbs 3:5-6 came to mind:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not unto your own understand. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."

I thought, "Well that is all good and all... and I do know you will direct my paths.. but how am I supposed to know where you are directing me?"

Once again, God quietly spoke to me. You see. I am sitting here looking for a big green sign on the highway of life. I want to stay in the fast lane and just breeze through every trial and tribulation. I want to quick way to arrive at my destination. But God showed me today that sometimes... probably most of the time, I am not looking at the right road signs. We are to take the narrow path. Think about it... how many of those little country side roads.. you know the narrow ones that aren't traveled by many... how many of those do you see on big green signs. Usually they are on a small little sign off the side of the road. You have to keep your eyes open and keep your speed down to see them.

OUCH!!!! Ok God! Ok! I hear ya! That was lesson #1. As I was wiping the tears away, in my complete frustration and desire to do God's will; follow His path, but not have to be in so much pain in the process; I asked God one more question: "But God... how do I know deal with the anxiety and fear of missing that small little road sign along the way?"

God in his graciousness touched my spirit and, of course, answered, "Stay close enough to me to feel my nudge as you come to the path I want you to take. There aren't any landmarks for me to give you, just listen closely."

Are you in the middle of a frustrating journey today? Are you like me and scared to take the wrong path? Are you in the fast lane and just begging God to flash some big green sign in front of your face? SLOW DOWN and LISTEN. Trust with ALL your heart. Quit trying to understand it ALL... HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATHS... and mine too. Just remember to keep close enough to Him to feel His nudge when it is time to make a turn onto yet another narrow path.

Wallowing in Regret

How many of us have regrets in life? I wish I would have gone to school there instead. I should have chosen a different major. If only I would have taken that job. Why in the world did I choose to marry him? We should have bought the house in that neighborhood. I wish I wouldn't have said that to him. If only I hadn't gotten addicted to that.Yes, we all have regrets, wish I had have, and only if's in our life. Some more than others. Some more extreme than others... but we all have them.

My question for you today is how do you deal with your regrets? Are the consequences of bad decisions haunting you toward a life full of wallowing in regret? Are you consumed looking backwards instead of living in the present? Are you having a hard time forgiving other people in your life because you can't even forgive yourself?

I prayed this morning that God would give me words that SOMEONE needed to hear this morning. You see.. one of my regrets is that I have not been more faithful in this ministry that I know He has called me to. I can sit and be upset that I didn't follow through. I can spend hours worrying over doing the wrong thing.. but today is a time to stop looking backward and make one simple step forward TODAY! Today, I know that someone who is reading this needs to STOP wallowing in regret. Someone... maybe it is you, needs to remember that your slate is wiped clean and regret is only going to take up time that God could be using to reach another life for Him.

After I prayed I opened my Bible to Isaiah 44:21-22. It is underlined in my Bible and in the margin I have the words written, "Clean Slate." Today... YOU need to be reminded:

"...Take it seriously... that you're my servant. I made you and shaped you: You're my servant... I'll NEVER forget you. I've wiped the slate clean of ALL your wrongdoings. There's NOTHING left of your sins. Come back to me, come back. I've redeemed you."

If you are having regret... STOP. Hand it over to God. If you haven't repented, DO IT NOW! You cannot change the past, but you can change the course of today. Pick yourself up out of the pig pen of regret and come back to the reality of being wiped clean!

Take it seriously... you are God's servant. He shaped you. He knows about your past, it makes you who you are today. Take those regrets and turn them into reasons to minister to others today!

Blessed Be the Name

Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be your glorious name! I am on my way out the door to work and heard this song. What a beautiful thought! Living in an abundant land... streams flowing... everything going great! It is so easy to praise God when things are going great. We know all our blessings come from Him and it is easy to praise God for it.

What about when the darkness closes in? Is it still that easy? Do you still praise God? This morning I am not going to take much time, but I want you to think that even in "the road that is marked with suffering" there is "blessing in the offering!" God is a mighty God!

Yes, maybe he has taken some things from you today.. your job, a loved one, an ideal of the perfect mate... whatever it is! Let's make this vow together today. We are going to sing God's praises today. Let us CHOOSE to say today... blessed be the name of the Lord!

Why Choose the RIGHT Path?

I've been going through a bit of a pity party lately. It isn't anything new. It is that kind of party you wait to have until no one is available to come. You use all your energy planning, cooking, decorating... knowing full well no one will show up and you are going to be disappointed anyway. Why even throw the party in the first place... maybe it is so you have an EXCUSE to feel bad.

Anyway, things just seem to aggravate me. Nothing seems fair. It seems whether I try to do the right thing or not, something goes wrong and I ALWAYS seem to get hurt through it. I have been here before. Many times. Have you been there? Have you had those times where you just throw your hands up and say, "Why even try?"

The concept of "RIGHT" has really been on my mind lately. Unfortunately we are living in a day and age where "right" is a relative term. We choose the definition of right to be based on our own ideas and perspectives rather than it's true definition of "something true, correct, a fact". I am working on a project at work that is just an amazing grassroots initiative to improve global morality... what a job! But it has really had me thinking about why we choose to do right.

In my struggles lately, I have once again began to question God. "JESUS!!! Why choose to do right when I get hurt either way? If doing what is right feels like this.... I know doing wrong will hurt eventually too.. but at least I can enjoy a few moments of feeling good for a change." I tell the Lord, "I love you God. I want to do what is right. But it just HURTS SO BAD right now."

Now I know, from my past experiences, that doing wrong can feel WONDERFUL in the moment... but I also know the results are often MORE painful than I ever imagined. Have you ever noticed how pain is only an "in the moment" experience? Ladies, think about childbirth. We all know the pain! (Unless of course you had such a good epidural like me that you slept through the entire thing. SIDE NOTE: That was only with one child... I full well know the pain.) Anyway.. in the moment.. the pain is almost unbearable! But the result.. OH THE JOY OF THE RESULT!

I am maybe getting a bit off track today, but what I want you to see is something that God showed me yesterday when reading a VERY familiar scripture. Read Psalm 23. Verse 3 really hit me, "...he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for HIS name's sake." Why do we live a righteous life? Why do we chose what is right... EVEN when the moment of pain seems to great to bear? We do it for HIS name's sake!!! If there were ever a cause to promote, isn't it the name of Jesus? If childbirth is worth it for our own "name's sake".. our children.... then shouldn't we be able to bear this moment of pain for the one who gave His very life for us?

You know.. even Jesus wanted to avoid the pain. He spent hours in prayer, on His face before God, asking to have "this cup taken from me". He even said, "Father, Why have thou forsaken me?" It is okay to have the feelings you are having right now. IF JESUS in His Holiness had feelings like that, then why wouldn't you? BUT.... remember.... the pain is FOR HIS NAME SAKE!!!

(If you are interested in finding out more about choosing RIGHT and living a MORAL life. Look for information on MOMENT FOR MORALITY at Facebook.)

Back to School... with Plenty to Learn

I don't know about you, but today is the first day back to school for the kids around here. Buses are lighting up the streets with their blue flashing lights and kids are sporting new shoes and crisp uniforms. It is a time for a fresh start for many starting their first day of high school or Kindergarten. Excitement and anticipation seems to fill the air like the humidity before the first spring shower.

As I started a new schedule with the kids this morning, I decided that they aren't the only ones with plenty to learn this year. Those of you following my blog... as sporadic as it has been.. know that consistency is not my strong suit. The 90 day reading challenge pretty much turned into a flop for me. In general, I feel like I let not only myself down, but everyone (or THE one) that actually read.

I am listening to a song as I write called "Daily Bread." The words are saying, "My hands are meant to serve you, my voice to sing your praises." It is time that I learn to let God be my DAILY bread. Obviously you can see from my blog that I have not been letting God's Word be my DAILY bread. I think as my kids start their new schedules and have plenty to learn, I need to learn as well.

Take a few minutes this morning and ask God what it is that you need to learn. There is SO much we just overlook. I have no excuse for not keeping up with at least a regular posting to this ministry blog. I may not do it every day, but there shouldn't be weeks and months between posts. IF this is the ministry God has told me it needs to be, then I need to show up. I would throw a fit if my kids missed turning in an assignment, like I miss my assignments from God.

Think about your daily time with God as well. As you expect your kids to attend classes every day so that they can learn as much as possible to better themselves... how much MORE important is it that we show up to class with God. We need to show up EVERY day to get our daily bread from Him. We need to "study to show ourselves approved"! Maybe reading through the Bible in 90 days is beyond your ability, but it isn't the quantity of the education, but the quality... RIGHT?

As each of us start this new school year, let's try to think of some ways to be more accountable in our own education opportunities. When you ask your kids in the evening if they have finished their homework...HAVE YOU FINISHED YOUR HOMEWORK... time with God? When we expect them to get up in time to have breakfast before they catch the bus... HAVE YOU ATE YOUR DAILY BREAD AND READ GOD'S WORD? Think of the expectations you have on your children... and ponder... WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OF YOU... and ME?

I have PLENTY to learn... How about you?

SHINE Challenge: Day... I HAVE NO IDEA

Yes, it is pitiful! You haven't heard from me in over a week and I really don't know what day of the challenge it is. 

Have I completely dropped out of the challenge? No, I am still reading. But as always, I am going to be honest... I have fallen so far behind. I haven't read every day. And, I have let so many other things that aren't important take up the time I should have spent with God. Am I the only one? Do you do this too? Is it just part of being human?

You know we are on a journey. We are not going to find perfection until we end up at the gates of heaven. One thing I have found with my Heavenly Father is that He is so forgiving and merciful. He wants us to just commune with Him. 

I was thinking about my youngest daughter this morning and it really convicted me in my spiritual life and my relationship with God. Every morning, before she will go get ready, she MUST have her "mommy time". She jumps up in bed with me, wraps her arms around me, and snuggles up close. It is normally followed with a big kiss and lots of I love you's. I absolutely ADORE this time with her. I miss it when something happens that we aren't able to have this special time in the mornings. It is one of the most precious treasures I will ever have.  And, one thing is for sure... whether it is for 2 minutes or 2 hours..... I treasure this time with all my heart and definitely am assured of my daughter's love for me.

I need to start my day with some "Daddy Time." Every day I need to snuggle up close to my Abba Father and relish in His love. If it is a 2 minute prayer of thanksgiving for the day, or a 2 hour pow-wow about all that life has that troubles me.... HE RELISHES THAT TIME WITH ME!

How many people do you know that just honestly want to give you their undivided attention 24/7? Are you like me and at times crave the attention of someone who truly loves you? Don't forget that someone is right by your side. He is just waiting for you to spend some "Daddy Time" with Him.

No, I am not doing great on my challenge... but I do intend to complete it. More importantly than that, I plan to spend a little bit of  "Daddy Time" with my Heavenly Father EVERY day! How about you?