Mine, Mine, Mine!

When my mom brought me home from the hospital, my brother met us at the car, exclaiming “my baby, my baby, my baby.” (He was an extremely intelligent boy and knew greatness when he saw it. 🙂 ) I carried my “blankee” for much longer than I will ever admit and it was definitely my property and mine alone. Try and take food away from my daughter and see what happens to you. How often have we witnessed children grab a toy away from someone else’s hands all the while exclaiming, “mine”?

We sure do like to lay claim to our possessions, don’t we? I have noticed a pattern developing culturally that seems similar. More and more often, I hear people refer to their own “truth” or they might comment about another person saying something like, “that’s her truth.” I hear things like, “do you girl” or “look at what I made” when it comes to our children. I recently used hash tags under a picture of my own daughter laying claim to her softball status: #lovemynumber6 and #thatsmygirl. I know, you are probably thinking that these are innocent claims that come from an innocuous place. But, I think that they might speak to a larger issue that comes from our self-absorbed, self obsessed nature or as my Pastor likes to say, “Me-ville.”

Jesus answered, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus also said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) We see God say to Moses in Exodus 3:14, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.'” It seems to me that we need to be very careful when it comes to “truth” and laying claim. The only truth that stands firm in this world is Jesus. It is not my truth or your truth, it is His Truth. And the truth of the matter is that anything good or right or fair that flows from our lives is simply a reflection of God working through us. Further, any possession or gift or talent that we lay claim to was entrusted to us by our Father. This includes our children.

Thank God that He shouted, “mine, mine, mine” and sent His Son to save us. Thank God that Jesus shouted, “mine, mine, mine” when He gave up his last breath and conquered death, rising victorious for us. Thank God that His Holy Spirit shouts, “mine, mine, mine” as His very life pours into our very being. Glory Father, your truth is everything! You must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. (John 3:30 NLT)

So, this weekend, I dare you to claim “His Truth” in your life and instead of “doing you”, let’s “do God”. He is the only Truth that matters.

Be joyful!

If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all be myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”–well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors–as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 MSG

Humility…

This one word packs such a powerful punch! God has been working on me in this area of my life. I am finding that He is offering lots of opportunity for me to practice humility, as well as my daughter and husband right now. I must admit watching my daughter navigate this one lately has been incredibly difficult. But, the lessons that God is teaching are beyond important. They are life changing.

Webster’s Dictionary defines humility as “a modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness.” Yes, I agree. That is one hard pill to swallow, especially in this generation of self. We are hard pressed and often rewarded when we practice the exact opposite of humility. It’s no wonder that antonyms for humility are words like pride, arrogance, self-importance, egoism. The world teaches us that we actually should have the highest opinion of self. We should put ourselves above all other things: our desires, our thoughts, our opinions, our success. And the world tells us that it doesn’t matter who or what we need to step on in order to get ahead. We can cheat, lie, steal, gossip and take any advantage possible to put self ahead. No offense here folks, but isn’t the beloved “selfie” about as narcissistic as it gets?

God knew that we would need a fresh reminder about the importance of humility throughout each generation, which is why He reminds us over and over again in scripture to humble ourselves before our Father and to humble ourselves in our relationship with one another. In Philippians 2:3, God tells us to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above self.” God reminds us in Proverbs 11:2 that “when pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 15:33 also tells us that “wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.” Ephesians 4:2 shares with us to “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” And finally, God boldly proclaims in 1 Peter 5:6 “humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

We are called to swallow our pride and practice humility always. Jesus is the Author and Perfector of humility. He laid down His life for me: for my pride, arrogance, self-importance, egoism. In contrast, He is the only one who has the right and reason to hold a high opinion of Himself. Yet, we see Him practice the opposite, not just practice but teach and equip us to do the same. With our humble obedience, He will give us wisdom, honor and He will lift us up in His perfect time. (Can I get an hallelujah from the back row?)

Yes, the lessons God are teaching are beyond important. They are life changing. If I will simply get my “self” out of the way.

Be joyful and humble!

“But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” Mark 10:31 NIV

It’s Time to Make the Donuts…

I showed the students at our Leopards for Christ meeting this morning a very popular Dunkin’ Donuts commercial from the eighties. This commercial showed Fred, the Baker leaving his house morning and night, in all kinds of weather, to make the donuts. At the very end of the commercial, Fred actually finds himself running into himself. You see, the monotony of the daily task left him blurry eyed, confused and half brain dead. He couldn’t remember whether he was coming or going, let alone whether he actually made the donuts!

Much of daily life is the same for us. The paper work, the laundry basket, the car pool, the dead lines, the yard work, our studies, the gym, conversations, and even our time with God can fall into drudgery. Before we know it, we find ourselves simply going through the motions and finding little motivation, let alone joy in our daily tasks.

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” I can’t think of a better way to combat the mundane tasks that confront us in every day life. When our focus shifts from going through the motion of the task to trusting God to pattern our steps and guide our understanding, everything changes! We find a revitalized soul and a purpose. (Even when it means scrubbing the toilet for the 100th time.) Seeking God’s will each and every day, makes the day seem limitless in possibility and wonder. Our obedience to the minutiae that every day life requires can actually bring blessings we could never imagine.

When it’s time to make the donuts again, trust that God has a bigger purpose. Even the smallest of tasks can result in the greatest rewards. By simply fixing your eyes and heart on Jesus, those donuts start to look and smell amazing. And before you know it, you find yourself taking a big, ‘ole bite, thanking God for each delicious morsel of life!

Be joyful!

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Mark 12:30 NLT

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A Kit Kat…

My husband and I laughed so hard at the family Easter Egg hunt in our back yard yesterday. You have never seen grown people act such a fool over hidden plastic eggs! My daughter’s beloved Nana actually tossed a plastic bowl at her head to try and distract her at one point. I’ll put it this way, we have a very competitive family!

The angel dog was also part of the hunt, barking and cheering on the hunters. And he was close by when each participant went through their eggs. He proudly brought a small Kit Kat candy bar back to me and was very proud of his found treasure. Before I knew it, he was eating his treasure, wrapper and all. I immediately told him to “drop it”, which made him choke it down even faster. You see, he wanted that candy bar even though it was not good for him.

We have so many similar temptations in life, don’t we? We find ourselves caught up in the moment and before we know it, we have gobbled down that thing that is not good for us. Even when we hear our Father telling us to “drop it”, we quickly devour it in hopes that it won’t hurt too bad this time.

Thank God that we have a Father that understands and was willing to send his Son, Jesus, to conquer death and sin. So when we find ourselves with a mouthful of sin, wrapper and all, we can repent and bask in his forgiveness. He also provides a way for us to stand up against that temptation the next time, even if it is a yummy Kit Kat candy bar!

I hope each of you delighted this Easter in the overwhelming sweetness of that empty tomb and all that it means for you. And I do hope that you enjoyed a little something sweet to eat, minus the wrapper of course!

Be joyful!

“The angel spoke to the women: ‘There is nothing to fear here. I know you’re looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.'” Matthew 28:5‭-‬6 MSG

A Seizure…

20180329_124330 The angel dog had a seizure yesterday. It is the second tine this has happened to him. The first seizure was at least three years ago. The truth is that it has been so long since the first one that I had forgotten what they looked like. We were laying on my bed late afternoon and I was working on my laptop. One of my first blogs, “Early Mornings with the Angel Dog” was about our morning ritual, which depicted how the angel dog loves to snuggle under the covers each morning with his momma. Yesterday afternoon, he began scratching like he wanted under the covers. When I lifted the comforter so he could go under, I noticed that something was wrong. He was squirming on his belly and it seemed like he didn’t know how to get under the covers. I jumped up and put my hand on him and called his name. He again was squirming and seemed unable to stand up.

My husband works for a company that allows him to work remotely. So, his office is actually in a barn in our back yard. I called him and told him to please come in because something was wrong with angel dog. In the time that it took him to walk across our yard into the house, angel dog seemed to be calming down and was now trying to squirm his way closer to me. I laid my body over his and kept whispering over and over that it was going to be okay. We called the vet and headed to the vet clinic. Angel dog was already feeling better and actually ran to the truck and hopped up ready to go for a ride, which is one of his favorite things. (My sweet husband prayed for the angel dog on our way to the vet clinic, which made me fall a little deeper in love with him.) Everything checked out at the vet clinic and the vet confirmed that it was a seizure and that often mild seizures in dogs are more traumatic for the owners than the animal.

I want you to know that I was completely calm, cool and collected throughout this incident. And if you believe that, I have some swamp land that I would like to sell you in my home state of Florida. I was so shaken that I called the wrong vet clinic. Then, was crying so hard that its no wonder how the poor woman who answered the phone at our vet clinic even understood who we were and what was happening. Fear had taken a firm grip on me.

I remembered a time about a decade ago when fear also took a firm grip on me. This time, the recipient of my phone call was my mother and I told her through choked back tears that my first husband wanted a divorce. What followed for months after were cries to my Father in heaven asking Him to put the pieces back together. Sometimes those prayers were with words; but, often those prayers were silent cries where the words simply wouldn’t come. Through all of it, Jesus laid his body over mine and whispered that it was going to be okay. And it was eventually okay. In fact, because of His grace, forgiveness, mercy and peace it became more than better. I found myself able to run again and hop up in the truck ready for a ride!

Maybe you need to be reminded this Easter that God is active and present. That He is capable of conquering death and resurrecting life. That we never go through life’s storms, life’s heart breaks or life’s fears without Him. He can and will, in His timing, make things good again. Make things great in fact! He will not leave you in the darkness of Good Friday….to borrow a well known quote…”Sunday is coming”! Hallelujah!

Be joyful!

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 NLT

Miracles Still Happen…

I witnessed a miracle this past weekend. My daughter’s friend was in a car accident. She actually flipped her car five times, over a barbed wire fence and landed halfway out her front window. For all intensive purposes, she should be in heaven with Jesus. No, not the case here. God has things left for her to do. Her part of His story is simply not finished. So, she walked, painfully, away from the accident with five fractured vertebrae and several contusions to her lungs. She will heal in a back brace. Her injuries did not require surgery. And she found herself at home the day after her accident to start the healing process. It was nothing short of a miracle. God’s grace and mercy on display for us to witness.

And what a better time to witness God perform a miracle than the week leading up to Easter, this Holy Week. The same God who turned water into wine; made the blind man see; and raised Lazarus from the dead just moved in this young girl’s life. His power, His glory, His mercy, His grace on full display.

The same God whose Son, Jesus, faced the brutality of the Cross and who gave up His final breath for each of us. Jesus, who three days later, left the tomb empty, completely victorious and alive, so that each one of us can have eternal life with our Father in heaven. Yes, this same God stood in the gap of this accident and spared this young girl’s life.

What is there left to say? Thank you Father. You are truly an awesome God. You are good. You are powerful. You are merciful. To You be all the Praise and all the Glory. Forever. Amen.

Be joyful and in awe!

“For even the Son of man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 NLT

Stand By Me…

DSC_0013_(2) — *Photo taken by my beautiful daughter.*

I was reminded of how important human interaction is after teaching my group exercise class this morning. There is just something about going through a strenuous workout (and a few dozen burpees) with a group of women. It can break down barriers, allow endorphins to heighten and leave us vulnerable and open to intimacy.

One of my sweet gym friends recently lost her father, very unexpectedly. She is now dealing with the aftermath of grief, one day feeling as close to normal as possible and the next day finding it difficult to leave her house. She showed up in class this morning and lingered after the cool down song, “Better Than a Hallelujah” by Amy Grant.

We hugged and she teared up when I asked how she was doing. She said that she was really glad that she came to class. You see today was one of those days where she didn’t really feel like leaving her house. But, her husband nudged her to go to the gym and she said that she felt better. We talked about how positive endorphins can help with our emotions and that human interaction can be the best medicine. I also reminded her that God was walking with her during this difficult time and that He was big enough for her grief. I assured her that she was a good mother, a good person and stronger than she realized.

I think the devil likes to keep us isolated, especially when we are going through difficult times. He likes to capitalize on the loneliness of grief. And our human nature likes to pull us into our own thoughts, grief, and anxiety; leaving us thinking that no one would understand. Or better yet that we shouldn’t burden others with our pain.

But, God knows the power of friendship, church and community. He knows how important it is for us to have brothers and sisters in Christ to hold our hands through a good cry; hug our necks when our heart is breaking; and give us hope when we feel like all hope is lost. It is in fellowship with one another that Christ can shine and hope can be restored.

So, thank you Father for my sweet gym friend’s vulnerability this morning and the strength she showed in opening up to me. It resonated with me today and I found myself beyond thankful for so many sisters in Christ that God has given to me. Visualizing the beauty of these faces fills me with such joy. You know who you are ladies!

Jesus indeed stood up for each of us. And because of Jesus, we can stand up for one another. Cherish your friendships.

Be joyful!

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10 NIV

Forgiveness…

cross I have been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately. In fact, I truly believe that God has been laying this powerful word on my heart to ponder for about two weeks now. My teenage daughter has a hard time admitting when she is wrong. (She gets this solely from her father. Ha!) She also has a hard time saying that she is sorry. I have tried to point out to her many times that forgiveness has to do with her own heart. And that it is often one of the most freeing, uplifting things that we can do. It’s funny how your own words can come back to haunt you.

We recently had an argument within our family. I wish I could tell you that we handled it calmly, with complete understanding, calm heads and voices, and resolved it in a Biblical manner. But, I am trying to practice transparency and honesty with this blog. It was quite the opposite. Harsh words were exchanged, doors were slammed and resolution was left for another day.

I think God often uses family relationships to teach, refine and refocus. This has truly been the case for me since this unfortunate incident. What I realized is that the right and wrong of the situation at the end of the day really doesn’t matter. But, what does matter are the hearts involved, starting with mine. You see, I have been harboring unforgiveness. I have been justifying my own thoughts and feelings, replaying the fiasco over and over again. Then, I started to realize that I felt horrible inside. And that the more I justified, the more I felt God pressing in on me to repent and to allow Him to handle the situation. And not only was God asking for me to repent; but He was asking me to extend grace; regardless of whether that grace was deserved. He put songs on the radio, scriptures, words in my Bible study, messages from the pulpit, all whispering the same thing to me….it is time to forgive and be forgiven.

So, I did. I gave it all to my Father and asked Him to renew a right spirit within me. And just like that, I felt free, uplifted and my conscience was clear. Grace and love became easier to extend too, imagine that! Why did it take me so long?”

Jesus said, ‘Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.'” (Luke 23:24 NLT) Our Savior pleaded for our forgiveness from the cross. He demonstrated from that excruciating vantage point the importance of forgiving one another. He then gave up His own life for my sins and yours. For my stubbornness and yours. For my pride, and yours. For all of my short comings and yours. He conquered the cross, so that we could stand before our Father, forgiven and redeemed.

I want to be more like Jesus. I want to extend His grace, love and forgiveness more. He placed me here, within this generation to do His work. He wants me to shine bright for Him. Sometimes, we have to get our “self” out of the way.

And sometimes the first step is forgiveness.

Be joyful!

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32 NLT)

The Number on the Scale….

scale Yep, I had to face it this weekend. I landed at urgent care with a raging sore throat and terrible cough. I had successfully put it off; but now the moment had arrived. I had to face the number on the scale. This hate relationship with the scale started early for me. If I am brutally honest, I have avoided trips to the doctor many times because I simply didn’t want to face it. Please don’t judge me too harshly. The number on the scale has way too much control. I readily admit it. That number can dictate how I feel for the day. It can bring shame, guilt and embarrassment by the droves. It can also bring enormous amounts of relief, success and short lived happiness. However, what it never has provided is freedom.

This particular doctor’s visit confirmed many things for me. It confirmed a major throat infection (no strep, thank God) and bronchitis (“ain’t nobody got time for that”). What I have dwelt on since the doctor’s visit has not been concern for my own health. Nope. I have been consumed with the fact that the number on the scale is up. You see, I have been struggling with my weight my entire life. The last couple of years, hormones and menopause has made it more difficult for me to maintain my weight, let alone lose. For the last few months, I haven’t felt like fighting it. And the number on the scale shows it.

Why do we allow this number to have so much control over us? I know that I am not the only one. I work in the fitness industry (I laugh that God has made this part of my story given my serious issues with self esteem associated with my weight). I have witnessed the look of complete devastation on a client’s face after facing the number on the scale. It is heart breaking.

I remember when my current boss (who is a fabulous, fit, God-fearing woman) suggested that I consider becoming a certified Personal Trainer. My thoughts went something like this, ‘Are you kidding me? I don’t look the part. The struggle is beyond real. I am living proof that you can’t out exercise poor eating habits. Who would ever look to me for advice on getting in shape. You must be seriously delusional.’ Why do we allow the number on the scale to dictate what we are worthy to do? Or not to do?

I have lived 45 years allowing the number on the scale to dictate so many things: whether I will be in the picture, whether I will go to the beach or pool, whether I will feel attractive that day, whether I will enjoy lunch with my family, whether I should wear that outfit or not, whether I am worthy to be loved. In fact, while I am being honest, I can probably tell you what the number on the scale was during each season, vacation, happy or sad time of my life. And it played an unnecessary role in each one of these occasions. (Yikes! Lord, please help me not be the only one.)

I have been leading an amazing Bible Study for women by Kelly Minter, entitled, “No Other Gods”. What I am realizing is that this number on the scale is a false idol for me. It has sold me a lie about who I am. I have allowed the number on the scale to take up way too much space in my life, mentally and emotionally. And I am so tired of it. It is beyond time to lay this one down. It is beyond time to replace this idol with my Lord and Savior Jesus and let His truth reign in my life.

I am so much more than that number on the scale. I am made in the image of my Father in heaven. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT) Now, my friends, this one scripture is some solid truth that I should sink my teeth into instead of the number on the scale.

Are there struggles or idols that you have allowed too much attention in your life? Lay them down. Let them go. They are nothing more than stumbling blocks that keep you from serving and pursuing the only, One True God. Let’s get on with living boldly for Him.

He is the only number on the scale that matters. He is my number One!

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 NLT

Be joyful!

He Knows Your Name…

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My daughter turned eight shortly after my husband and I got married. I was very fortunate in that she was truly longing for a mom. She made the transition very smoothly. One of my own regrets with my second father was that I never made the transition to calling him dad. I wanted to give my daughter the opportunity to call me mom pretty quickly. So, Memorial Day weekend, about six months after we were married, I asked her if she would like to try calling me mom. I told her that it might feel strange at first; but that eventually it would get easier. She eagerly agreed to give it a go! And a go she did!

I vividly remember that we went to the beach that weekend as a family. My daughter is a lover of the water, sand and anything slimy. So, she never lacks for energy at the beach. I truly believe that she called me mom 1000 times in the span of 2-3 hours. Mom, look at this cool shell. Mom watch me swim. Mom, check out this sand castle. Mom, look at me. Mom! Mom! Mom! It came so naturally to her. But, my learning curve was longer.

We went to Walmart that same weekend, jus the two of us this time. And I remember standing on an aisle and hearing a child asking her mom a question, over and over again, saying mom every time. This mom was apparently distracted. I thought to myself, ‘for goodness sake, answer that poor child so she will quit saying your name’. It was then that I realized that I was the mom. And my daughter was the child asking me the question. Oh my goodness, I was the mom.

Isn’t it reassuring to know that our Father knows our name? Better yet, isn’t awesome to think that He hears us every time we call him by His name? He delights in relationship with us. He wants to see the sand castle. He wants to watch us twirl on the beach. He longs to see us play in the waves. The Creator of the Universe knew you before He put you in your mother’s womb. He knows every hair on your head, He delights in every step you take and He collects every tear that you cry.

Thanks to Jesus, your name will appear in the Book of Life if you make Him your Lord and Savior. You will inherit eternal life. We are redeemed, children of God. Isn’t it amazing to think that the Enemy sees your Father’s name written on your forehead? (Revelation 12:4) You are sealed by the blood of Christ and the enemy has lost.

Yes, indeed, your Father knows your name. And my daughter knows mine! But more importantly, she knows the powerful name of Jesus! And I pray that she calls on that name over and over again. You too, my friends!

Be joyful!

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28 NIV