Calling

As I watch the snow,

Gently falling, falling.

I hear Your voice,

Gently calling, calling….

Speak to me daughter,

You need Me, need Me.

Walk with me daughter,

And heed me, heed me.

Pray to me daughter,

And heed me, heed me.

Listen my daughter,

You need me, need me.

I have a plan,

And it’s calling, calling.

It’s time to work,

No more stalling, stalling.

Look at me child,

No more falling, falling.

Trust in Me now,

Hear me calling, calling….

I hear You, Father,

And you’re calling, calling.

It’s to get up,

No more stalling, stalling.

I hear Your voice,

Gently calling, calling.

I will stand up,

No more falling, falling.

Snowflakes

A few weeks ago, a couple of friends and I were talking about the usage of “snowflake” as a derogatory term. We decided that it wasn’t cool to use something so unique in such an unkind way, and that we needed to take that term back. But to be honest, I haven’t thought much about it since that day.

However, it’s snowing here today, and it is the most amazingly beautiful snow I’ve seen in a long time. I’ve spent my quiet time today watching the beauty that God created. It started with sleet, and then gradually changed to snow. The sleet was pounding down in a straight path to the earth; hitting hard at the end and bouncing a couple of times before coming to rest and melting slowly into nothingness. Meanwhile, the snow floated gently down, in a meandering path, knowing that it too would come to a rest on the earth as well. However, instead of melting immediately, the snowflakes begin to lean on one another. Thus, making a quiet peaceful blanket of snow, covering everything they came to rest on and supporting those flakes that come later.

That’s when it occurred to me…

Why are we not more like the snowflake? Each is individual. No two are exactly the same, just like us. A snowflake alone melts into nonexistence, but when they lean on and support each other, they can bring a peaceful existence to an otherwise insane world, at least for a short time.  Man cannot stand alone, lest he melt into nonexistence. God created us to stand together… to support one another, and love each other. Yet instead of standing together, we race to the finish line, bouncing off any and everything that stands in our way, not caring who we harm or what we have to do to win.

We run over each other to finish a race none of us are competing in.

You guys. We all get to the same finish line. Some of us will reach it with grace and mercy, having made an impact of support and love. Others will reach it with terror and anger, having made an impact of neglect and hate, or icy cool indifference.  Which do you choose?

As for me and my household, we choose God's grace and mercy. We choose love. 

We choose to be snowflakes.

Divisive Device

He saw the device

in our hands

and devised

a devilish plan..

A divisive device

that can

divide

man from God, and

man from man.

A created device

no one would think twice,

to check once,

twice,

Thrice a minute...

ignoring anything

and anyone

who was not in it.

A vise of a vice

that would grab hold

of our hearts

and minds

and not let go...

A vise of a vice

we treat better

than our young

and our old,

and consider far more

precious than gold.


A 'necessary' device

which we can't

live

or love

without,


A device to be used

to spread hate,

lies

and doubt...


A device to get advice

from all but the right place,

a divisive device

that will destroy

the human race.


As we hide

behind the screen,

and say terrible things...

Things we would

never say

if we were face to face.


So how do we battle

this evil device?

When everyone

desperately clings

to this vice?


An evil plan

for sure

of that, there's no doubt,

I do think it's time

we throw all ours out!


It's time to find

a vice

that is true,

a vice

that is pure...


There's a vice

that is Holy,

powerful and sure.

We desperately need to

crack it open

and admit

we're all broken..

that the enemy is

winning..

while we're all

sinning..


We need the Word

more

than ever before,

of that, you can be sure.


But it takes

strength and Faith

to say no today,

to stand

on your own

and face

what they say.


To trust that

the Word

we hear from

above

is far more

important

than this device

that we all love.


This device

can't divide

without our

permission.

We have to

stand strong

and accept

our mission.


To share His truth,

His message of love,

to show that He cares,

He came from above..

To show the enemy

he won't win.

To accept our

power,

and walk in truth

once again.

But God. He Is Enough.

But God.

Two small yet powerful words. Everything hinges on those two words. Think about it. We wouldn't be here, But God created us. We didn't make this, But God did. We can't do this, But God can. You intended this for evil, But God used it for good.

That is it right there. It doesn't matter how badly we mess up, how stupid we act, how wrong we are... He can change it. He makes our crooked paths straight. Think about it. How many times have you done something that you immediately knew was a very bad idea? How many times were you able to get out of it on your own? How many times have you been so certain you were right, only to find out later, you were very, very wrong? I mean it. Seriously take a few moments and think about the screw-ups in your life.

Who rescued you?

But God. 

I wouldn't be here...... But God rescued me. But God used people to help me see. But God was there. But God loves me. But God.  It all hinges on that one tiny little phrase, that is so very big. It all comes back to Him. He loves us enough to do the things we cannot do. He loves us enough to rescue us time and time again and straighten our paths back out when we've made them all crooked and crazy.

If only we could remember, instead of going into panic mode each time something new happens. We always seem to forget when it comes down to the wire. We definitely forget when things are going our way. We think that we are in control and that we can do what we want, when we want, and not have any consequences, because it's all about me, right? Then we finally, finally hit our knees.... crying out to Papa, "PLEASE!!!!!!!! HELP ME! I CAN"T DO THIS! PLEASE LORD I NEED YOU!!!!!!"

And we realize.....

He Is Enough. 

In every situation, He is enough. In everything, He is enough. Try it out... Lost your job? He is enough. Divorced? He is enough. Childless? He is enough. Hungry? He is enough. Thirsty? He is enough. 

Each and every time, we come to understand two things:

But God.
He Is Enough. 

Put them together and you have the most powerful thing you could ever carve into your heart and mind:

But God, He is Enough. 

No matter what I face. No matter where I go. No matter what I do. No matter what anyone else says.

But God, He is Enough. 

Always and forever, amen.

This Crazy World Needs Love

Listen, yall.... The world has gone absurd. It has absolutely lost its mind. Don't believe me? Just log onto facebook, google, yahoo, or any actual " reputable" "news" source, and you will see all kinds of craziness. Fighting, arguing,  rudeness, obnoxious behaviors, and out and out meanness are rampant. Not to mention the questions of sexual persuasion, racial tensions and who's going to be the next president.

What in the world are we supposed to do? How do we respond to so much hate and lack of love? How do we share Jesus in a world that's gone mad? One that has said they don't believe in our Creator? (Which He totally said was going to happen!)

I just can't stand it. It is driving me insane. Am I the only one who wants to stand on mountain tops or drive around town with a loud speaker, saying, "You're doing it wrong! STOP IT. This is NOT the way!!!!!"?!?

No, I didn't think so. I imagine God has laid it on all of your hearts as well. This world is sad. This world needs Jesus, but they aren't ready to hear it. Everyone is so certain they are right, believing their own press, that they do not want to be told they are wrong. We know the truth. We know He said all of this was going to happen. We know that He came to save us all, and we know that, eventually, they will know it too. Every knee WILL bow, every heart will say He is Lord.

Until then, what do we do?

We love. We love those He's put in our lives, around us, right where we are. We answer the call to be his disciples, right where we are. We show people what it means to truly love. Remember,  love is patient and kind. It doesn't envy or boast, is arrogant or rude. It doesn't rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in Truth.

It lends a hand to a neighbor who is moving a cabinet in. It's stopping in for a short chat, just to make sure they are doing ok. It's helping your co-worker on a project they are having a hard time with. It's talking a good friend down from the ledge, and pointing them to Jesus. It's being there, and caring. Even when the world says you shouldn't. It's doing and saying things that they think are crazy, because there's no way they would do or say that. It's trusting an "invisible" God to lead you closer to Him, even in the midst of the chaos of this world.

Breathe deep, dear friend. Breathe in Jesus and breathe out the crazy in this world. It isn't our job to fix it. We aren't going to be the one to change it. Only He has that job. Our only job is to do what He said do. Love Him. Love Others. Be patient and kind. Tune out all the things that distract us from that job, and it will go well for us. Is it easy? Of course not. He never said it would be. In fact, He said we would be hated for following Him.

And if you have any doubt as to whether or not that is true, just look around the world. Persecution is happening. All over the place. God is being denied left and right. Those of us who follow Him are being hated. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. Cement yourself in Him now. Carve his words on your heart. Be certain of His Love for you.

 Because His Love fuels our Love. Without Him, we just cannot love like we need to.. and God help us, because we really, really need to Love.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack!

Hello friends! I have missed you so!! I haven't been on here in over a year. I'm so very glad to be back. I have been writing, just not here. I've got pages of writings and poetry and all kinds of stuff. I just haven't been here. But I'm back, and whatever it looks like, I'm going to get as much of that stuff on here as I can in the next few days.

We are also going to be exploring some important, and some definitely new, subjects. For instance,  I am learning how to be a submissive wife. Ouch. It scares me too. I'm reading a book that I'll be telling you guys about, as well as what God is teaching me when it comes to this hard lesson. Just this morning during prayer, we had a conversation about it. He asked me, "How can you be a submissive wife, when you don't even know how to be a submissive child?"

I was floored. He is right. I don't honor my God or my husband enough. I definitely don't "obey" most of the time. I spend money we don't have on things we don't need. I pay more attention to everything, especially my phone, than I do either of them. So yeah, conviction just slapped me in the face. Scripture says wives submit unto your husbands as unto the Lord. I don't do that. At all. How can I submit to Ben if I can't submit to Papa? We will definitely go deeper on this one!

Another topic we will be getting to is one of my favorite statements: He is Enough. Go ahead, try it out. It fits just about every scenario I have come up with. I feel unloved? He is Enough. I am hungry? He is Enough. I am thirsty? He is Enough. Scared? He is Enough. I can't do this? He is Enough.

I am pretty certain I have written on this before. If so, we will revisit it and see what He's taught me since. If not, then we will have a whole new post. Whatever happens, we are just going to roll with it.

I will also be posting how I feel, a year after my body decided it wasn't going to cooperate anymore. I actually wrote two different, yet similar versions of this story. One will appear as a guest post on a friend's blog. The other will appear here. One is very personal while the other is more how it affected all of us. I will definitely link them together so you can see the different routes He took me through my story.

So that's where we are. A post to say there are more posts coming. He is showing me all the ways He is always with me, even in the hard stuff. He is growing me and teaching me and showing me who I really am. I hope you enjoy the journey with me!

Me

It's been a while, I know. I haven't felt capable of writing, if that makes sense. I've been jotting down notes here and there. Short little paragraphs every once in a while, but beyond that, my writing has been off. It wasn't until tonight that I really felt that I had missed it, so here we are. Please bear with me as I find my groove again. It may be a wee bit bumpy, but it'll be real.

I have a new friend, and I've been sharing my story with her. I've marveled at the changes in me. I've been astounded at how many of the things I use to be are no longer even remotely present in my life. Wow.

I AM NOT WHO I ONCE WAS.

I can no longer be called by the labels I wore before. The skill set that I was so proud of in my past life is no longer one that I utilize, or even want to. You see, I was a bad, bad girl.... evil in a red dress, and most people couldn't see it. I could walk into a room, take its pulse and know exactly how to work everyone in there. I could manipulate each person into seeing a different version of me, but no one saw the real me.

Not even me.

I had no idea who I was, and if I'm honest, I didn't want to know the real me. That person was weak. That person got hurt. It was much easier being the bitter, enraged, perfectly-perfect-in-their-eyes person that I pretended to be every single day.

If you don't see the real me, you can't hurt the real me.

I spent several years developing my walls and building my masks. Even those who thought they knew me well didn't know me. I put on a mask every morning, and just rotated through the collection as the need arose. Super sexy siren? Check. Fun party girl? Check. Loyal hardworking employee? Check. Mom of the year? Check. Perfect hostess, lover of all things, good girl, bad girl.... I was as fickle as Arkansas weather.

It was exhausting.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't be what everyone wanted me to be. I couldn't pretend that I was okay, when I was so far from it that I was ready to end it. I even tried to, but......

God had other plans.

He sent people to speak to me. He put people in my life to show truth to me, even when I didn't know that was what they were doing. Now I can look back and see each and every person He sent to get me to the point that I am now. I'm still not perfect. I still mess up. I get frustrated and stumble, which irritates me even more. I fall down, but I get back up.

Not of my own will, but because He's put people here to walk this with me. People to reach down and pick me up when I fall. People who will let me lean on them, and who will lean on me when they are stumbling. People who are there, not because I'm wearing a mask that they really like, but because I'm just me. People who understand I'm just human, too.

I've really seen this lived out well in the last three weeks. I've been down.. Fibro started a fight and won this round, but didn't knock me out. My family and friends have rallied around me. Ben has worked exhausting hours, then come home and taken care of me and the kids and everything else. My sistas have shown up to do my dishes, bring me lunch, mop my floors, do my laundry, just sit with me, or break me out of house jail for the first time in three weeks.

Not because of me, but because I put my masks down and asked Jesus to lead me back to Him. I submitted myself to His plans, and I've walked the path He's laid before me. It hasn't always been easy, and there have been plenty of times I've BEGGED Him to plot a different course.

But......

It's been worth it. And it will continue to be worth it, until the day I am standing with Him, face to face, in a place that I cannot even begin to imagine. Then, all of this, everything good and everything bad that I've lived through, all of it will be nothing in the presence of Truth and Love.