Yes, it's a cliche..but a picture REALLY is worth 1000 words!

I have always claimed to be a person that is often terribly touched by the arts.  Music, pictures,  paintings, sketches....the way a person can show their passion, their hearts through other mediums has always caused a sense of wonderment in me.  Today as I was looking at some pictures that were highlighting a mission trip that some teens from Teen Mania ministries are on in Zambia, I was overtaken by amazement and wonder, by ONE picture in particular.   As I flipped through the pics I smiled, giggled, and said a prayer...then the above pic popped up and I stopped.  This picture grabbed me...it was one of those moments that I sat and just let the entire picture soak in....the child's arm, so relaxed..the teen holding her..with BOTH arms..not one...the teens eyes appear closed, as if in prayer or maybe just one of those blissful moments of love that only one who is loving unconditional can understand and feel...the way the child is leaning into the teen, the child trusts her..the child knows that in the world in which they live, the harsh, hard world, this teen has something special about her..a love that surpasses all...a Godly love.  The longer I look at the picture, tears start to flow down my cheeks..how many teens in our privileged society would take time out of their schedule nay their SUMMER to go to a third world country and when they don't realize anyone is looking, show love to a child...not for the glory of her, not for the notoriety, not for props...just for HIS glory...His alone.  This girl did...as did several others who are on the mission trip with her. 

A few moments pass, and I look at my own 3 sons...we are raising them to serve Him...we pray that they are able to serve him in a mission field..whether here in America or in a third world country..then I realize that I truly cannot WAIT to see how God uses my 3 sons.  As I looked at the picture, I not only saw it through the eyes of a woman, but through the eyes of a mom.  I can only imagine my reaction if I were looking at the pics taken while one of my sons were in another country and stumbling across them hugging a child in that manner...to see them love the way their Heavenly Father loves...wow...I am almost overwhelmed with emotion just thinking about it....

I do not know this sweet precious girl in the picture...nor do I know the child she is holding, but my life has been changed by this sweet precious moment.  When mundane days are bogging me down, and I am cleaning yet ANOTHER spill off the carpet and God presses me to speak to my children about Him, I will not claim to be too busy...too frustrated...I will obey. You see, my JOB, is to raise 3 young boys and to guide them in the ways of my Father.  That is my job....my mission...to show them how my Father loves them...to teach them what my Father has taught me.  I am not just raising kids...I am raising boys HE has entrusted to me, and I pray I get to witness the way God uses them, like He did this girl.

"Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’"

Protect her Heavenly Father..

amen.

Are we a Sheriff? or an EMT?

In the news lately, there has been much talk about a certain lady who was accused of murdering her little girl.  Unless you have lived under a rock until, well, NOW, you know to what I am referring.  After the verdict was read, many were devastated and said as much on their social media sites.  I read posts about killing her, judgements, and wishes for her to go to a certain WARM place.  Now, don't get me wrong..this isn't a post about how I support this certain woman. 
In the area in which I live, a woman has went missing.  This woman was last seen by her husband.  Her husband, at least as far as media is concerned, has been fairly quiet.  Now to the people of my community this is a VERY bad thing.  According to many, it is guaranteeing his guilt!  I posted tonight, on my social network site, "I wonder if **** went to a church in Cape or Jackson how he would be received." My wonderings went unanswered. However, b/c of the way my brain works, got me to wondering some more.  You see, this person is being tried by the public before there has even been any evidence publicized.  Public opinion has found him guilty and is ready to carryout a sentence.  Is this the way we should do things?
I heard a speaker recently who said something that came to my mind again, tonight while I was thinking of these current events.  He said, that when you cause a car wreck, two different people come to the scene.  The police will come and tell you which laws you break and issue you tickets for the laws you have broken and tell you when you have to see the judge.  The EMT will come and they take care of you.  They fix you up, care for you...no questions, no judgements.  You see, God doesn't ask us to be the Judge OR the police officer..he asks us to be the EMT's...we should love, care for them, and show them how to get help through Jesus. 
After I was deleted from a "friends" list because of my thoughts on not passing judgement I realized...we as a people WANT to see judgement..however, it is NOT ours to give.  We are to love..no matter the crime..LOVE...that is what Jesus did..

John 8  But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.  The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,  they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.  Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.  But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 

Jesus didn't say those whose sins aren't as bad...throw the first stone...he said, you who is WITHOUT sin..throw the first stone....

So, tonight, as you say your prayers..tomorrow morning, when you spend a little one on one time with the one who loves you more than anything...ask him to help you be an EMT..and leave your sheriff's badge behind.

Being grown up sometimes isn't all it's cracked up to be!

I was driving through town last night and I got behind a truck that was leaving Wal-Mart. At first I didn't pay much attention to the truck. But then I noticed a little head bobbing around inside. I realized there was a child inside and he kept turning around looking at the back of the truck. It was during the third or fourth of time that he turned around that I noticed what was attracting his interest. There, in the back of the truck, was a plastic pool. You know the kind. The ones that are preformed and have a preformed little slide. I used to have one of those, as a child, and I LOVED it...I really thought I was living the high life in my little blue pool with the painted fish in the bottom!
As I continued driving behind the truck and the VERY excited little boy, I began to feel excited FOR him. He kept turning around and with every glance of what was SURE to guarantee hours of endless fun, his little head bobbed around more. I got to thinking about what he might be saying to his "chauffeur". I could almost hear him: how much longer,can I swim in the dark, how long will it take to fill it up. Each question with a voice, crackling with excitement. As the conversation plays out in my head, and MY excitement mounts(My imagination is just THAT good), I began to recollect my childhood thrills! I remember so clearly the exciting things of summer. Late nights playing outside, catching fireflies, swimming until my skin was all wrinkly and so much more! GREAT memories! But now...I have kids of my own and while we do some of the same summer time activities that I did as a kids, we also make our own kind of memories. We make s'mores, we chase each other with flashlights in the dark, we sit out and count the stars and we stay up and sleep in late. But as I'm thinking of all the great things that we do, I am reminded that as I have aged, and yes, I have aged..I have let go of some of the childhood silliness that made MY childhood memories so memorable. Becoming a mom, I had to be responsible. I am in charge of these kids..I want them to be safe...Therefore, the simple act of buying a plastic pool...which is enough to make you bounce around in the cab of a pickup truck, might cause me to say, "stop jumping in the car, it's not safe!" eek..
With those things in mind, I realize that yes, I'm grown up, but being a child is awesome...full of "new" memories and moments. Moments awesome enough to make you giddy with excitement. Making a bed, is not just a chore, but something that CAN be done while jumping on it and singing at the top of your lungs. And as long as it gets done..do I really need to be so strict as to HOW and in what volume it gets done? I find myself realizing that...NO..joy is one of the emotions that can make any memory THAT much better! Now, as a momma, I do not want to take that away from my children...Now, don't get me wrong...this revelation comes with some reason! While squirting liquid soap all over the bathroom walls may bring my four year GREAT joy...no matter which way you spin it...Momma just doesn't see the joy in it! But the little things, the noises, the slower pace..THOSE things I don't need to push. Instead, I just need to LET them be kids...and, maybe I can let down some of my guard and join them.
So..if you come to my house today...you might see me chasing my kids around the house with a feather duster, claiming to dust the stinky away..(keep in mind I have 3 boys)...or..now, all you serious Momma's out there, don't panic...I just MIGHT decide to join them in the bed jumping during bed making time! HEY...if you can't beat 'em...join 'em...right?! And while we may be noisy...we will have fun, JOY and new memories!

Are we a woodpecker?

After dropping my oldest son off at swim lessons this a.m., I decided to sneak in a run real quick, while I had the time. As I'm running through the park I hear a noise coming from the light post. It's not at the wood, it's at the top where the metal is. I realized immediately it was a wood pecker. As I'm running along, trying to remember to breath, I had to chuckle because my first thought was "stupid woodpecker, pecking on metal.." because obviously he wasn't going to find any worms THERE. Then I got to thinking, I have found as long as I'm focused on something OTHER than my run, while running, I don't convince myself I'm dying. As I run, I usually try to ask God to show me something....something of Him. Then I heard the woodpecker again. And this time instead of thinking "stupid woodpecker" I thought, we are sometimes like the woodpecker. We peck and peck at the things that will NOT give us nutrition. I'm not talking about eating those Milky Way's or Snicker's but spiritual nutrition. We expect our friends yay even our families to spiritually fill us up. When that doesn't happen we wonder why..we may even decide to look for it in other places..cars, houses, and yeah, sometimes we seek refuge in food..while the food supplies our needs physically, we wonder why we still feel empty? Why do we still feel the need for more.

PSALMS 42:3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

God is the only true supplier of spiritual nutrition. There was a song that was popular by the artist Plumb. She mostly writes songs about motherhood now, but at one time she was an alternative Christian artist. Very grunge like, who wrote songs about issues facing teens and young adults, ie cutting etc. She had one song out in the 90's that talked about how "there's a God shaped hole in all of us." He designed us that way. Nothing will fill our "God shaped hole" except Him. No amount of serving at the local homeless shelter will truly fill it. It may make us seem full for a while, but like empty calories, we will be starving again soon!

Psalms 54:4 Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.

So, like the woodpecker..we can peck peck peck at the things that will NOT feed our spirits...or...we can turn to the ONE who is the sustainer of our souls..the nutrition for our hearts. He alone can heal our hurts, he alone can make us feel loved, and he alone can make us whole. It will not go away, like a chocolate high will. No, he is "the same yesterday and today and forever." ~Hebrews 13:8

Proverbs 26:11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly.

What I DONT know

Why people hurt each other...
Why families don't always make it...
Why mother's leave children...
Why father's leave children...
Why there are wars...
Why there is pain...

BUT

as I said in a previous post...
I.....AM......HIS!

What I KNOW...

I am His..
He loves me...
I am NOT alone...
I am NOT a disappointment...
He desires a relationship with ME..
He made me a mother...it was NOT an accident...
He gave me a strong man to stand beside me..to protect me from those that hurt me...

What I KNOW...

I AM HIS!

Mountains, friends & shields..

Exodus 33:20, 22-23

You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live...I...will cover you with my hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.

Today..during my personal quiet time, I sat on the covered part of my deck and listened to the summer storm..The thunder was rolling, LOUDLY and lightning was striking. A few times the old "never be outside or near a window when it is lightning" lesson came dancing through my mind. Foregoing the warnings though, I sat outside and immersed myself in my newest read, It's Not About Me by Max Lucado. I was reading about the scripture in Exodus where Moses goes up on the mount and asks God to see his glory, when a lightning bolt struck and the thunder that followed was immediate and LOUD! I thought to myself, wow..ok, God what do you want me to write about today? Or most importantly what do you want me to HEAR...I'm listening. It was within a second or two of my declaration, that I was reminded of a scripture that a dear friend shared with me this week. It is from Psalms.

Psalms 3
O LORD, how my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
² Many are saying of my soul,
“There is no deliverance for him in God.”
³ But You, O LORD, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
⁴ I was crying to the LORD with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy mountain.

How many times in our lives do things get us down..stress, work, family, our kids asking for juice, snack, supper, clean clothes (geez) *chuckle*. But sometimes these things keep us from talking with God (guilty). We figure if these awful things are happening to us or people keep treating us bad it's because God is trying to punish us (guilty again) or worse, he just doesn't care or have time to deal with ME. David was feeling this way...or at least the beating him up part. He said, "many are rising up against me!" But then he says something that I believe we often forget...YOU, God, are my shield..YOU, God, are my glory...and YOU, God, lift my head...Then comes my favorite part..."He answered me from his mountain!" God doesn't ignore us. He hears us...and if we just listen, he will answer.
What do we ask God for? Do we ask him to take all our troubles away? Do we ask him to make everything "perfect"? Moses could have asked God for anything...God is said to have talked to Moses like you talk to a friend. So what exactly did he ask his friend, the maker of the universe for? He didn't ask God to take away those troublesome people who were driving him NUTS, he didn't ask for the largest hut in the village, he didn't ask for riches to make everyone envy him...no. He asked for God to show him His glory. Just to see him...to catch a glimpse of the one who could have given Moses ANYTHING he desired...he desired to see him.
So, this morning..the lightning is striking, thunder is rolling and I am sitting with my book on my lap. I ask God what it is he wants me to hear..and I hear him say for me to lift my head...and ask for Him. When life is dragging me down, people are hurting my feelings and I am reminded that by the worlds standards I am not valued...I need to LOOK up..HE is my shield...he will protect me and ask Him to show me HIS glory..forget about my own troubles. Forget about my own hurts, leave my broken heart aside and ask Him to just simply show me HIMSELF. If I do this, I have decided that HE is more important than ME...He loves me. He wants to be with us. He wants to protect us, remember, he is our shield..all we need to do...is ask.

Answered Prayers?

An observation I have made of late, is that whenever we perceive something as good we say things like "God DOES answer prayers" or if it's a sickness that is no longer present, "God HEALED me, because I prayed". Something about that disturbs me a little bit. Now before I make a bunch of people mad at me, yes, I DO believe God answers prayers...but I think we jump the gun a bit in saying that just because we perceive something GOOD occurring, he has answered our prayer. Sometimes God answers our prayer by saying NO...because ultimately he knows that what we have asked for could hurt us. This "hurt" could be in the form of a lesson not learned, or a journey not able to be taken because the answer was quick & easy. I know this may be as clear as mud, so I will explain.
Recently, I have had several friends and acquaintances who have been diagnosed with one terminal/disabling disease or another. They are ALL suffering. They are ALL in pain...and they ALL belong to Him. Let's say that one friend finds out that their illness is in remission OR it has disappeared completely...should we shout from the rooftops, "God heard us" or "God is GOOD"...hmmm...I don't believe so. God is good, no matter WHAT. He is good if the illness is present..He is good if it's NOT. He IS GOOD. Regardless of how we feel, think or believe. God doesn't act like a tornado..jumping over one victim to get to another...if He heals, there is a reason behind it..likewise, if he chooses NOT to provide healing, there is a reason. I believe that the reasons are different for every person...because not all of our walks are the same. The same goes for God heard us proclamation...God hears us even IF his answer is NO. He hears us all the time. He hears us when we turn our backs on him and he hears us when we feign worship on Sunday morning... he also hears us when we quietly ask him for forgiveness. He is listening all the time.
I believe, that when God does provide healing, in a situation like I described, we shouldn't say things like I have heard, but instead shout "Praise God", "You are good", and a simple "thank you Lord." HOWEVER, I also believe that if he doesn't provide healing, we should still shout, "Praise God, You are Good and Thank you Lord." The sickness is not a reflection of our spiritual cleanliness. We do not get sick because God sees us do bad stuff so he throws down a cancer on our heads. No. We get sick because sin is in the world. Unfortunately, it is part of life.
I have a friend whose child is battling. Battling an illness that is starting to take a visible toll on her sweet baby girl. This mom prays daily, probably hourly, if truth be told, for her daughter. I have another friend whose daughter was ill. VERY ill and watched as this sweet little girl, became one of God's angels. The amazing thing to me is that both of these mom's are what I would call "Holy Momma's". They both believe in Christ, follow Him in their lives and serve Him every day. One little girl has survived, one has passed on. Was one Momma more holy than the other? In another town, there are two men. BOTH have cancer. BOTH have daughters. ONE goes in remission while the other holds onto life by a thread and is constantly in and out of hospitals. Is one in remission because he is "spiritually stronger?" Though I do not KNOW the condition of their spirit...I still feel confident enough to say NO. I do not know the reason God has chosen to allow healing in one situation and hasn't in another, but I DO believe that regardless of if we are "healed" in the way we see it, we should STILL Praise Him. Because he is God, He is good and he does love us and want to be near us. He is our Abba (our daddy) and he wants to wrap his arms around us...He is just waiting for us to call his name and say Daddy, I need a good old bear hug...I KNOW and I speak from experience on this one, he will come running...and he will wrap his Holy Spirit arms around me and show me how much he loves me. Just like when we raise our kids..we can't keep every skinned knee from happening, but we sure can be there with the band aid and a good dose of Momma Love to help dry the tears!
So, I challenge you...whenever you hear of someone who is sick and has been "healed" instead of shouting, God answers prayers...why not just say Thank you....Thank you Lord and truly believe it.