Friday, July 29, 2016
Aimless
Why? Why is this happening? Why did he get in an accident? Why now? Why are all these things piling up at once?
Chloes broken arm?
My bruised shoulder and tricep...along with hip, neck and wrist issues?
no health insurance...
no new jeep tires....
Why? I hear myself cry out in my spirit to Him....and then I hear his reply.....
'AIMLESS'
the first thing I pictured was an arrow...missing the mark!
a target but no bullseye...
a quiver full of sharpened arrows but with no place to go...
no goal....
no vision...
no purpose...
no mission....
no ministry....
perishing is what is happening....
His people do this where there is a lack of goals or targets.......when they are aimless!
it has a negative ring ....
almost like reckless...
without care....
ignorant....
God this is a harsh word, but I am going to take the warning and heed it...
GOD DOES NOT REVEAL A THING TO US WITHOUT WANTING TO HEAL IT!
We just gave up somewhere...I say we, when what I really mean is I gave up somewhere...
lowered my standards...
let down my guard...
loosened the boundaries....
I did this in my health and weight first....
then the spiritual followed....
untill I just got sick of myself, my life and decided I was ready for change!
for restoration...
regeneration...
not replacement surgery, but a regeneration of what once was....
some fanning of the flame that still flickers and smokes...
some splinting of the bruised reed, so as not to break it!
I am ready....are you?
Thursday, July 28, 2016
one drop at a time
My daughter was taking a bath and observed the drops falling from the faucet, and said....This tub is going to overflow and be filled if those drops dropped all night. Her comment took my breath away as I stopped and contemplated the idea....
You see I wrestle with the choice of daily working out...
I really feel like skipping it on most days and I do....(with my rest days that I enjoy twice a week,) but on the other five days of the week it is always a struggle and a mental feat to Just lace up and do it!
but I have seen the fruit of making that change in my life almost daily...
I have seen the carvings on my body by the steady stream of training I subject it to...
Mountains are chiseled, craters are made, and basins are filled by drops...drops of water, seemingly insignifigant by themselves but when added together over a course of time....Well,
landscapes are changed,
fields are altered,
and otherwise empty vessels are filled up...
Thank you Lord for teaching me perseverance and in the process filling me up to overflowing.
How do miracles happen?
usually instant!
The Bible uses the adjectives, Suddenly
Quickly,
In the blink of an eye,
Straightaway....
How do healings on the other hand occur?
slowly,
methodically,
habitually,
one day at a time,
one drop at a time...
If you want a healing in your body and are ready to put in the daily changes to your diet and activity, then click here and leave me a message!I would love to walk this journey of health with you.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
What I love about being a Beachbody coach!
Monday, July 7, 2014
Cooper...helping out at VBS!
Why am I doing this?...because God wants me to be available
Why is it so hot?...because it is the middle of Summer, in Florida, Southwest Florida, and I am wearing a dog suit complete with tail and yes a nylon vented dog head mask.
Had they asked me to do this before I showed up with my kids at VBS, would I have volunteered?....most likely, no!
I must say it takes me back a few years, like all the way back to sixth grade. Mr. Copeland and his annual Everglades trip!...the event that elementary students looked forward to every year. The right of passage from childhood to adulthood rested on this sleepover in the woods.
My parents were finally divorcing. I say finally because we had been through moving state to state, and trial separation, then patching up again, now this. The final ax. It was a bitter sweet time, and a very vivid memory.
Quiet by nature, I virtually shut down. I felt on the verge of tears at all times. Our camp leader seemed to make it his mission to get me to come out of my shell. He picked me as the raccoon for his campfire play. I didn't mind, being that I was designated catcher for my softball team, I was quite used to heavy sweaty gear.
What I wasn't used to was being center of attention and entertaining others. But once I started going I was in bliss, I felt like I had come home. The bands of love and gauze were being wrapped around my deeply wounded heart enabling me to function and let others in, all while healing!
I had grown a little taller, a little wiser, all thanks to a little coon outfit and a discerning camp leader.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Spring Vows
Butterflies on the tulle curtain tie backs, and butterflies in the belly. Once again, I do my best to focus on something other than the fact that I am about to sing lead accompanied by the worship team, in front of a hundred or so folks. Stage fright hits me extra hard this morning, almost making me want to empty the contents of my already almost empty stomach.
Miraculously, the Lord helps me to overcome the jitters and In unity we sang, "Taste and See", "Oh our Lord", and then the more worshipful, "10,000 Reasons" and "There is No One Else Like You"
Relieved, amazed and thankful for an extra measure of His calming nearness, I placed the microphone back on its stand, as I stepped off stage to join Mike and several other eager couples in front of the meticulously decorated chuppa, where we watched and waited as, two by two, couples ascended and descended the steps of the billowy shelter.
As the brides, we were then instructed to encircle our husband three times.This is a tradition dating back thousands of years. Symbolic of raising a wall or a hedge of protection around our men from the enemy, I walked around Mike while repeating three phrases, prompted by our Pastor.
"Husbands, you may now give your wives a hug!", I heard our Pastor say, as I felt Mike's long and strong arms surround me and lift me high, while leaning me into his chest. I giggled at his spontaneity, marveled by his public display of love and high regard for me...Oh, how I love this man!
We each then took turns repeating vows of renewed love to each other, while repeating the symbolism of our wedding bands held partially on.
We then observed the symbolism surrounding us, hand in hand, as we waited our turn at the chuppa.
Prayer shawls, tallits, draped over pairs of shoulders, as each couple were prayed with and encouraged.
Two individual bird cages, doors shut, on either side of the open tent, apparently symbolizing our individuality, before opening ourselves up to each other and marriage.
Sparkly butterfly curtain tie backs, a symbol of spring and renewal.
A glittery glass chandelier, placed over the heads of the couples inside, no doubt representing the Day Star himself, bright leader and guide of our homes.
The transparent, sheer, yet white tulle of the hoopah, a Jewish tent like structure symbolizing our covering we have in Jehovah. His love so pure, transparent, hiding nothing from us.
We are next to the last couple to enter. We are immediately covered in the tallit, big enough to cover us both and beautiful enough to serve as a wedding veil. I realize that together we are the bride of Christ and our union is a shadow of our marriage to Him.
The prayer spoken over us is refreshing, thereby renewing life and brushing off the old and dry drought season. We then receive our vows on rolled parchment paper held together by a single delicate strand off burgundy ribbon.
We exit the shelter to a flurry of flash cameras held by loved ones, smiles and words of congrats on their lips,
The event will sustain us, grounding us in His word and our promises to each other. Thank you Father God, for your goodness and this landmark moment in this adventure called marriage.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Word of The Year
relationships especially God!
I mean who hasn't
....or wore the mask of pretense
speaking our heart?
exploding point and have
bottled our true feelings for far too long. The inevitable happens..
.we explode....sending toxic words all over our friends and family.
Our heart is, as a result, not heard due to everyone
running to avoid the explosive lava flowing everywhere.
What could have prevented it?
Transparency...
pretend wholeness does..
possible because of my lack of transparency, it makes me shudder.
Namely, envy.
Only God really knows how imperfect that person you admire truly is.
Please give me a spirit of transparency this year, Jesus!
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Heart Shift Towards Mentoring
Where I have had trouble in areas of my walk with Him, I am sensing a deliverance.
Not an instant miracle deliverance, but a slow healing and strengthening in these
weak areas
of my life. I asked Him to show me if he wanted me to be a mentor in this
season of my life
. You see I have a newborn. It is not always easy embracing this season, and turn down
things that I feel I could do and would be good to do. But I also know that the good
can sometimes
be the enemy of the best.
I realized so much of what He was asking while working on my homework
from the mentoring group, of writing my life story.
not point too much
at the way people
raised us up out of the ashes.
testimony now that is seasoned with God's grace.
exercise that will expose the condition of your ticker real quick.
and doing things for God, at the expense of first setting a foundation of healing.
and possibly others selected by God, to dig up those buried emotions, to tug on
those old bones to see if life can be found out of death!
How we respond to our past is key to our future.
How transparent are we willing to be?
When should you be?
How do you know what to say and what to leave out?
Should you leave anything out?
I have been taught so many different things regarding this;
for example, only share
Christ if someone asks you to.
Well, if you follow the well thought out guidelines of... how to respond
to questions, you can
make those questions happen just
by asking questions yourself.
...such as"Can I share with you what happened to me?"
People tend to listen better when they have given you permission to speak into their life.