Taylor Swift and Sweeping

My daughter, Blaise, grabbed the broom from me this morning because she wanted to help me sweep. Before too long she was going around our high-traffic area by the table and must have decided she needed some music to keep her motivated. Did I say "high traffic area" when I really should have said pitifully dirty area by our table? After a few minutes of work, she put down the broom for a minute and ran over to press play on her Taylor Swift c.d. that seems to forever be in the stereo and drives her older brother, Bosque crazy. I was washing dishes at the sink, but could see her every move and hear her singing as she pranced back to her work zone. She picked the broom and got back to work without even looking my way! She was enjoying herself to say the least. She was working hard and singing like she was in a video. Blaise swept up every crumb and created several piles.

Honestly, I could not keep my eyes off of her because the whole scene was just too cute! My soapy water in the sink could have quickly run over and turned into a sudsy river on the floor and I would not even have known it. I was looking up at her! She finally realized that I was watching her and began looking up at me too every few seconds too. We would smile simultaneously at each other and then both look back down and resume our domestic duties. We did this several times and then it turned into a big joke. After a few times of her glancing up and seeing my eyes still on her, she was all giggles and I was not far behind her. She finally said in a super dramatic voice, "Mom, every time I look up, you are still looking at me!" Simply put...I just could not stop watching her and was caught up in the moment of it all!

I thought...ok, me keeping my eyes locked on Blaise must be like how Jesus Christ keeps his eyes on me and for that matter, all of His children. Anytime we look His way, His eyes are on us. He must smile too and even laugh when we choose to pause in our busy day and look His way. He always promises to catch our glance whether we look His way for a meaningful, long stare or just a passing look and provides us with what we need for that minute in time! This is why He is Sovereign and Omnipresent. He can see it all and do it all at the same time! He can keep His eyes on you, me, the whole world. That just blows my mind and yes, just like this morning with Blaise, it makes me smile and gives me total peace when I think about the times that I seem to have "locked eyes" with the Lord!

My path last week crossed a woman's path who is only 28 years old and is battling breast cancer. If I am honest here, I wondered how I would feel after meeting her as I walked into her office because I had no idea what to expect. Would the reality bring it all back to me? Would I feel sorry for her and desperate to help her, or even feel a bit down? After we visited and I walked out of her office, I was totally amazed because I did not feel down. Karen lifted me! She made me smile! I could see Jesus all over her. She is looking to the medical field to help her, but more than that, she is looking to the Lord for her healing.

I pray Karen does not take her eyes off of the Lord for even a split second. In the midst of our greatest trials, we must look to Him and don't dare look away! I claim to know very little in all reality, but I know that to be 100% true. In some strange way that is hard to explain, in the scariest, darkest, most challenging times of life, whether it be a cure rate, a financial plan gone wrong, or news of a a love one in trouble, there is NOTHING that can compare to looking to Christ and knowing without a doubt His eyes are on you!

There is word in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 that says "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." How can this be possible? We can face persecution head-on and not be abandoned. Likewise, the fiercest blows in life need not end in destruction if we are children of the Most High. We will face trials; however, we will not face them alone.

Another passage at the end of 2 Corinthians 4 seems to offer a plan for this type of life. It says "Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

If we fix our eyes on the Lord by reading His Word, knowing Him as our Savior, and communicating with Him, our eyes will be fixed on the only thing, the only One who can get us past the temporary trial. We also have to keep in mind that everything here in this life is temporary and our real eternity will be spent in heaven.

What happens if we look away, allow sin to get in the way of our view, or just get so busy that we forget to look? He will forgive us. The really special part of a relationship with Jesus too is that when we finally look His way again, we will discover that He never took His eyes off of us. So, today fix your eyes on the only thing that matters.

She's at the feet of Jesus!

The title of this blog was the subject of an email that went out this morning..."She's at the feet of Jesus!" Our loss today is heaven's gain because Twila Lyles is indeed sitting at the feet of Jesus. She was the sweetheart of Fairfield, a true love of several generations. When I tried to explain who she was this morning to my Father-in-Law, my 5 year old daughter interrupted me. She ran to our fridge and grabbed a picture. She wanted to show him Twila, a description was just not enough for her. Blaise insisted that he needed to see her! The picture was taken last year at "Relay for Life" of her, my four kiddos and I all crowded in together. We were wearing smiles. She was wearing an even bigger smile, her tiara, and her purple, "Team Twila" t-shirt.

Twila was a magical creator of laughter and fun. She was an amateur storyteller, actress, and dancer. She was capable bringing her fans to tears and then getting them all riled up into uncontrollable laughter. The funny thing is that this total range of emotions could happen all within only a minute or so. She was a dear friend and always was willing to share a cup of coffee or a game of cards when anyone was ready. She was a loving Mom and Wife. She was an adored Grandmother, an avid Eagle fan and supporter of everything her Grandchildren and their friends were involved in. One of Becca's softball teammates said today that Twila was not feeling well last spring she sadly did not expect to see her at their game. She could not believe it when she looked up and saw her sitting there with a smile...determined to support her girls. The word cancer seemed to make her live even a little bit more, if that was possible! Twila was a walking, talking example of what the Bible speaks of when it mentions the word JOY. Joy from the Lord is just as real in the valley as it is on the mountaintop.

Twila's life began to touch me in a new way last week when I visited with her daughter in law, Shelly, and knew the time was near. Shelly told me how a old friend of Twila's would be making her way to Texas from North Carolina to see her. She hoped to fly, but could not because of the weather. Instead of giving up, her husband decided to drive her here to Fairfield. I was so touched by this sentiment of true friendship and sheer determination. Wow, it made me think!

A question formed in my head that touched my heart. I pray it forever alters how many of us live out our time here on earth, because of the example set before us by Miss Twila. The question is this:

When my time is near and my heavenly Father is calling me home, what will my legacy be?


Will my friends and loved ones travel to sit by my side?
Will grown children move home to help and just be near me?
Will my future daughter-in-law take a leave from teaching for just for one more chance to hang out with me?
Will I ever have a Grandson sit by my side and read the Bible out loud to me because he knows that I love it?
Wow again and this list could go on and on!!!
You can add to it whatever you want, but what a legacy she lived to have such true and abundant love surrounding her during her lifetime.

I can't stop there if I am honest. This just can't be some abstract thought of leaving a legacy. This legacy we desire to leave requires daily hands-on attention and totally intentional living. It will not just happen!

The real question we must honestly consider is this...What am I doing today, right now in this life I have been given, to leave a legacy that reflects this kind of love? In other words, how can I live this out?

Look away from the media and from what most of American says matters. It has nothing, ZERO, to do with fame, money, fortune, or position. It has everything to do with the gift of love that has been given to us through a personal relationship with Christ Jesus and how we share that love with others around us. That is the bottom line here!

A few more thoughts that run through my mind are:
How do we respond when a little one wants to play one more game of Candy Land on a Friday night and we are tired?
What will our answer be when that co-worker needs our help one more time at the end of a long day with a project?
Will we tutor someone to help them make a better grade?
Will we speak to the new kid in the hallway at school?
What will our attitude be when the line is too long at Brookshire's and we have to wait longer than we wanted?
Will our home be open at anytime, clean or unclean, when a friend calls and needs a cup of coffee and a minute of our time?
Will we make time for our Grandchildren and pour into their lives as they grow up?
Will we send the card to a friend in need or make the phone call when the Holy Spirit leads us even if it was not on our agenda for the day?
Will we stand up and sing the song in the choir with a smile when we have heard the diagnosis?
Will we offer a kind word to the nurse who holds the needle or the doctor that speaks the words we don't want to hear?
Will we hug when we would rather hide or run?
Will we color at the table or play another round of UNO when we would rather sit on the couch and catch up on our favorite sitcom?
Will we encourage a roommate when they are in need or stay up late to study with them before finals?
Will we call home just to say HI or leave a note in a special spot to say thanks?
Will we walk and talk when a loved one asks us to meet them at the walking trail when sitting really seems better?
Will we load the dishwasher, change the oil, and mow the yard with a smile?
Will we forgive when we are hurt?
Will we love the unloved?

None of us are perfect and we will not always answer these with a YES, but the love of Jesus Christ in us is perfect! He gives it to us free and expects us to share it. We all express the love of Christ in many different ways through our spiritual gifts, but in some unique way coming from the depths of your being, this love must show and be given out to others!

It may be raining today in Freestone County, but I know that in heaven today the sun in shining. We can rest assured that our Twila is at the feet of Jesus laughing and loving just like she did here on earth. That leaves me with a smile to go along with my tears and makes me ask myself again as this day comes to an end:

What will my legacy be when I too go to meet my amazing Maker in heaven?
With the help of my Savior Jesus Christ, what do I need to do with every single second I have here on this earth to make that happen?

There are many verses today that come to mind. One is Philippians 3:14 that says "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Galatians 6:9 says "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Galatians 3:11b "The righteous will live by faith."

Isaiah 53:4 reminds me "But he was pierced for our trangressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."

When we need to be reminded of the Lord's plans and that He knows how we feel...read my personal favorite... Psalms 139

P.S. For the women LUCKY enough to have seen her in action at the FBC Ladies Laugh In....Can you just see her and Gynne up there on stage, in costume, HAMMING it up? I Sure can. Rest assured, the Lord must hold a special spot for natural comedians!

Stupid guineas

My son and his uncle from Dallas made a trip last spring to the "outskirts" of Corsicana to purchase a few guineas. Actually, Uncle Darin and Brazos bought 16 to be exact. We raised them for the first month or so in a small coop to keep them safe. Their homestead then progressed to a larger 10 by 10 pen. They lived in that larger coop for another few months. We threw them food in each day and kept their water fresh. The high point of their day must have been, if I can put myself in the shoes of a hungry and potentially bored guinea, when the kids slid fresh grass under sides of paneling to give them a bit of real vegetation.

Why did we practice animal cruelty and keep them so long in captivity? We cautiously protected the birds until they were old enough to hopefully fly up and away from the many predators that surround us. (We did not do so well with our first batch last year. We let our group of guineas out too quickly and never saw them again....except for the trail of feathers leading into the woods.) The guineas became a favorite past time for us. When Brazos and I went into feed them or change our their water, one or two would usually escape. That meant we were together on a mission to catch them. We used quick feet, quick hands, and a big net. Brazos did tell me one day that I was the best Mom in the world because I helped him catch his guineas as we walked together out of breath to the house. The only reason we were ever successful at catching any of the feathered fugitives is because even when they got past us and the gate, they would stay right around the edge of the pen just lingering and looking at their cell mates. Imagine that...escaping into freedom and then not making a run or a fly for it!

Much to my surprise, my husband decided one Saturday morning EARLY last summer that it was time to release them from their pen and let them enjoy a life of freedom. He is an early bird himself and went out to the pen right after daylight to open the gate, expecting that within a minute or two the pen would be empty. Even if they had succeeded so many times before escaping, as luck would have it, on the first morning of their freedom, none of them would leave the pen. One word comes to mind...stupid! (Yes, the guineas being stupid... and not my husband!) Branden even went into the pen and tried to "shoo" them out. They would not leave the pen. They continued to run around in a circle and refused to exit! Just thinking of it makes me dizzy.

At this point, Branden came back home to wake me up, a bit earlier than I would have liked, to get me to come into the pen with him so we could TOGETHER run them out. I asked him for 10 more minutes of sleep like I usually do. By the time I was up and had my first cup of coffee, Branden came back home and announced to me that one of them finally found his or her way out and lead the others.

Sadly, the guineas were quite comfortable in their nasty pen. The ground was dirt. There was no grass because they had eaten it all! To describe it in one word....FILTH! I did not even like going in it and often tiptoed around if I was in my good shoes. Even when they were all free finally and should have gotten as far away as possible from their miserable living conditions, they still stood by the pen for a bit and lingered still.
Maybe they were scared ???
Perhaps the thought of going back into the tiny pen compared to the open acreage here seemed safer???
Maybe they were just simply stuck in the past and did not know what to do next???
It is also quite possible that they were dizzy and disorientated from running around in a circle for so long.

It occurred to me that day when I replayed the events in my head that in many ways, I too have behaved like the STUPID guineas from time to time.
I have been scared of the unknown when it came to a new job possibilities.
I have been so set in my ways that when the Lord wanted to show me something new, I refused to leave my old thoughts, habits, and behaviors.
I have even believed lies that there was no way out of several dead-end situations in my life.
I still find myself going around and around in circles when I know the Lord must be saying...."Will you just follow me out of this? Get behind me, stop insisting you lead, and follow me."
Maybe I am the only one guilty of settling for so little. We have been promised that by simply obeying Christ after accepting His free gift of salvation that we can have more than just a little, mediocre life.

When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, He freed us! In guinea talk, we no longer have to stay in the little, dirty pen, and helplessly run around in a vicious circle living in the same miserable cycles. We are free! We have been set free. Our life has been bought. Our sin has been paid for. We can not expect life to be perfect and free from trials, but we can rest assured that we do not have to be held captive by sin and the lies of the enemy. Wouldn't the devil like nothing more than to see us waste years of our life going around and around the same loop? If our enemy can keep us captive and in the same, old patterns of sin and defeat, God is not getting glory from our lives.

Isaiah 61 touches on all of this. I first marked it in my Bible back in 2002. It struck a chord with me then and still brings me to my knees in 2011. The Word here in the Old Testament is a promise of what is to come in the life of Jesus in the New Testament. It says "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and to release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown on beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, for the display of his splendor."

That my friends, is not a life of meaningless confusion or captivity in any form or fashion. That is freedom. Broken hearts can be mended, captives can be free, and despair can be transformed into praise. If the door or the gate is pushed wide open and your promise is waiting, do not linger. Follow Christ and step into freedom.

A little Splinter

I declared the last full day before Christmas vacation ended as an official "Spend the day outside" day for the Monicos. The inside of our house was too full of post-holiday dirt and clutter for us to enjoy ourselves. I began the day by moving a sheet of old plywood for Banner and Brazos. They are convinced that they are building a little hide-out in the woods. My brother Ben and I always dreamed of the idea too when we were kids. My modern day children are calling their area "Starbucks." Future parties, sleepovers, family meals, and coffee breaks can be scheduled in their masterpiece.

I knew when I picked up the sheet of old wood that I needed my gloves, but who has time for that and who could find them anyway inside of my house? I knelt down and grabbed the corner and immediately let it slip...loosing my grip on the wood and gaining myself a deep splinter. That made me mad, so I proceeded to pick it up again and move it over its new position as an exterior "wall" in the Starbucks.

My oldest two children sat on down to enjoy their sandwiches...as if Starbucks was open for business; however, Blaise and Bosque were worried about my splinter. I told them I would tough it out and wait for Dad. I actually told them a little fib now that I look back. I would not dare let Branden get tweezers and perform surgery on my little finger. I already had decided that I would let this one fester for a few days and work it's way out.

I have checked on it a hundred times a day for the past 3 days. While I am reading to a class, finishing up a load of dishes, or getting dressed in the morning, I glance down to check on the progress. It does not really hurt, but I know it is there. Every time I glance at it, I am reminded of something much deeper and harmful than my little splinter. It makes me think of the sin in my life that I try to hide, ignore, or just live with. Much like the tiny speck of wood that could easily be removed in a minute if I would toughen up and get out a needle, my sin can be forgiven. Scripture in 1 John 1:9 tells me "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness."

How simple is that? We have to make a move though. There is a choice and an action on our part. The Lord is 100% willing and able to forgive us of every sin, but we can't try to hide sin in our lives, cover it up, or ignore it. We must come to Him, talk to Him, and repent. This process does not require a degree in theology or a fancy prayer. The only requirement is a relationship with Jesus Christ and a honest heart of repentance.

What if sin is left unconfessed? We feel it. We look at it. We analyze it and then justify it. We let it fester. We become bitter. It can take over. It can literally destroy us.

Can sin be hidden? Sure, it can be hidden from the human eye, but it absolutely can not and will not be hidden from the Lord. A quick reading of Psalms 139 tells us that there is no fleeing from God. That same Psalm closes with this: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." David in this Psalm did not only repent, but invited the Lord to search him for sin in his life.

Unconfessed sin will always cause pain and will never go away without bringing it to the Father. It also, much like my splinter, causes us to look its way over and over again. It is no surprise to me that one sin leads to another. We can quite possibly end up totally lost and on the wrong path in a very short time. A simple, yet powerful and sometimes painful reminder for me today of how I must seek the Lord, be honest with Him, and of how a day without Him in my life is a total wasted day!!!

Key Lime Pie

I loaded down my crock pot last night with some deer meat and cut up an onion this morning. My youngest 2 children joined me in the kitchen just about the time my eyes were beginning to water and found me talking to myself. I said...."I'm going to turn this on high." Blaise, my sweetie and lover of anything sweet to eat, heard me say turn this on high, but seemed to hear "KEY LIME PIE." She asked me with a puzzled face and a look of happy anticipation "Key Lime Pie, Mom?"

She is working on rhyming words and I guess "turn on high...key lime pie..."and her mind took over. I immediately had a thought. That is just like us! We so often get offended, hear what we want to hear, or even take things totally out of context. This all in turn, can ruin a day, sabotage a relationship, and cause hurt feelings...all because our perspective takes over and the real truth of what was said or done flies out the window, so to speak!

Just a few minutes later, I asked the kids to help me take the sheets off of my bed. I got a blank stare and no response. I remembered the crock pot incident.....thought to myself, help them change their perspective of what I really want them to do. I waited a minute and then said "Hey, who wants to go and destroy Mom's bed and rip everything off it it." With a simple change in wording, my linens are now in the washer, and I did not do a thing. I "helped" my helpers by changing their view and opinion of the task at hand!

My prayer as we begin this new year that we have a TRUE perspective of the power of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The devil would love for us to misunderstand what the Lord is all about, confuse lies with the truth, and even plant seeds of bitterness by twisting the words of others. Our enemy's goal is to make us think that the Lord does not care and has quit working on our behalf, making us feel all alone. If we could ever really get it into our minds and hearts how BIG God is then we would see how small our problems are and that Jesus is involved!

Check your perspective today and get it in check with the TRUTH! Make sure what you hear, see, and do is based on the TRUTH!

What a shameful disappointment it would have been for my Blaise to expect a slice of key lime pie on her plate tonight all because of a misunderstanding!!!! How often does this happen to us as believers? We can live in the TRUTH!

Christmas Vacation

My family has had the best Christmas vacation ever! However, the kids and I got off to a rocky start. We had plenty of activity to keep us busy the first few days that school was out, but our first full day at home with nothing to do was challenging to say the least. There was much more picking and pestering than holiday cheer. I felt like the Grinch by the end of the day. When my husband got home that night and started his much needed and relaxing week off from work, I met him at the door and said "You are in charge." I quickly pivoted around and marched down the hallway letting out a sigh of relief and a little, sly giggle. I spun around one time only to let the kids know that for a week their Dad would be home and would be in total control. I added in that I would not get in the middle at all or save them if they got in trouble with him.
(Moms like me tend to hand it all over to Dad or another authority figure and then step in every five minutes to protect their little ones....I am quite sure counseling would reveal that this is not at all healthy or good for our marriage, but we can work on that later.)

The true beginning of Christmas here at the Monico establishment began at that moment. Soon we were full of peace on earth, joy, and lots of hot chocolate with marshmellows. I decided to let go and LET DAD! It was like the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. I am not saying that this works in all families and this will not be a lesson on submission, although I do try and practice being submissive often. The point I am trying to make here is that I was tired, frustrated, and needed help.

Let me explain the dynamics here. My husband is more firm and in control by nature. He jumps on the trampoline with the kids, takes them hunting, plays cards, and does fun stuff; however, he can say no a lot faster than me and does not start a batch of cookies at 9:30 p.m. He lives a life that is more structured than I do and seems to create more calm than chaos. We needed his fatherly touch so that we could all get along, have fun, and respect each other. Branden also has "the LOOK" down quite well and I usually end up with a laugh or a smirk at the least when I really need "the LOOK."

At the end of the following day with Dad at home, we all were gathered together in the living room by the fireplace watching a Hallmark movie together in total peace. I contemplated on the transformation. Help that day came from my husband and was such a nice relief. How nice that I could depend on him at that moment, but it does not always happen that was I must admit. He is human, works long hours, and can also be stumped at times by what we should do raising four children with very different personalities.

The real solution is me knowing without a doubt, that no matter what the situation is...work, children, a bad report at the doctor, depression, or just a really crummy day... that I always have Jesus Christ on my side to help me. Nicole C. Mullin's words in a song titled "Come Unto Me" ask a question that causes me to wake up and remember a promise that is life altering.

"Can you fall down like a child who is helpless,

so He can pick up up and make you whole."

I must ask myself ...Why do I so often try to do it all, carry it all, control it all, manage it all, manipulate it all, when I am a child of the MOST High God who is able and willing at anytime to help? Am I just stupid, hard-headed, or used to doing it my way? We hold onto so much with a tight-fisted grip when we are tired and barely able to even hold our own heads up, much less hold onto anything else. That has just got to be what Mr. Webster meant when he defined burdened and weary!!!

Matthew 11:29 says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Why do anything else?

Is it time today to "Let Go, and Let God?"

Looking down

I have spent the past two days at our deer lease. We hunted a little bit, ate delicious burgers cooked on a grill in the middle of a pasture, worked over some out-of-shape trees, and concluded the trip with a traditional arrowhead hunt. It is one of my husband's favorite hobbies and we all fall in line behind him like a family of little ducks.

Today we drove to the "top secret" location, unloaded, and all began looking down. (We search individually until someone lets out a scream to the others that they have something worthwhile in hand.) After about 10 minutes of walking and looking down very intently, my neck began to ache. I tried to ignore it. Please...I told myself. I have given birth to four children and recently fought off an attack by a rooster....I CAN deal with a bit of neck pain! I kept on walking and looking determined to impress the group with a find.

After 30 minutes, my neck felt like I was carrying a 10 pound dumbbell around. Looking down is just not normal for me. I usually walk with eyes up, head up, and this MESS of a position was driving me crazy. It occurred to me that I have been through periods in life, sometimes a day or two, maybe a week, or even a year, that I did look down a lot. Life was only making it to the next step and not anything more than that. I was miserable, trapped in bondage battling addictions living a life of total defeat!

It can even feel more natural to look down and expect the next bad thing to happen than to possible lift your head in anticipation of good news. Expecting less of yourself and others is safe. Maybe you just don't even have time to realize why you are so down and lost because life is moving too quickly from one week to the next, one meaningless activity to the next and looking up would require time that you don't have.

My family did not know it, but I had one of those quiet moments in my soul today on my walk. When I felt my neck ache and stretched my chin up to look at the sky and get a break, I thanked the Lord that with His grace and love, His free gift and promise of His daily presence in my life, I no longer look down very often for a long period of time. The verse from Psalm 3:3 came to mind "But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head."

If you are in need of a lift of this kind, I know the way! I have been there. I look around and see so many in pain. Often pain that is out of their own control, but caused by the actions of others, but I know that the Lord can lift them up no matter who is to blame or what has happened! Even when the world, your past choices and sin, or the enemy would like to keep you downcast and without hope, there is HOPE! It begins with a verse like this one that I remembered today. Start 2011 with reading a Psalms out loud....the power in the spoken Word blows me away. The Word is life and when we read it, we do look up and find hope. Maybe we even realize that our view has been totally out of whack for a while.

We all have a plan and purpose in Jesus Christ. I am looking up in 2011 and speaking this into my life every day from Psalm 5:3..... "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my request before you and wait in expectation." Look up in expectation and if anything is in the way or keeping you down, confess it and refuse to look down again!