Running your race

Our last few trips to Brookshires have ended with a bang! No, not just my grocery bill, but yes... That is a bang! The real excitement is when we walk out of the door and Brazos begins to hurdle/jump every pole on the way out in straddle position! I've not counted, but I think there are 7 or 8 poles and he even rounds the corner on the way to the pharmacy drive-through. It makes me tired just watching him. Pushing the cart is enough for me!

Bosque watched him last week and simply said "I jumped ONE of those ONE time." He looked at Brazos like he was pretty cool, but he sure was not going to give it a try himself!

I just laughed and had a quiet moment thinking about how my boys are so very different and I love them both so very much!!! One of my favorite verses came to mind from 2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

I was reminded to run MY race well! I don't need to compare myself to others or really even glance to my right or left. I simply need to keep my eyes on Jesus and run MY race well. That includes saying no at times and not comparing myself to others at anytime, but traveling along at my own pace and running my race, with the help of Jesus, well!

Bosque seemed to know that in his heart as he watched Brazos. He knew that Braz had his thing going on and that was ok. No need to compare and try to keep up!

Run your race well today! Keep Jesus in front of you and it will be a great day! Sing a Christmas carol, sit on the porch, throw the football, smile at someone in the pew, whatever it is, do it well!

Trapped?

Do you ever feel trapped? Trapped by old hurts that have grown into full blown resentment and unforgivemess? Trapped by finances and a never ending shopping list? Trapped by worry about what will happen tomorrow, next week, next month, next year with your health, children, job, college plans, etc? Trapped by an old addiction or pattern of sin that you just can't seem to break free from? Trapped by your mouth because no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to control it!

Well, I have felt trapped many times and will not dare scare away my readers by making a list of my own personal battles! Let's just say that if Jesus Christ can free me, He can free you and anybody else!

My inspiration for this early morning blog is a new batch of chickens. We got them 3 weeks ago and kept them cooped for 2 weeks to make sure they knew their home. We had 2 older chickens that also had to go to JAIL with the new ones just because of proximity control.

Last Saturday was freedom day! I can just hear the bells ringing. This had happened before but it still Amazed me. We opened the coop, stood back and watched, and they all stayed in! Even the two old chickens that used to have run of this place just stayed in for a while.

Why? I guess they were simply used to being trapped! Oh, friends... I have to ask today and beg you to search your heart and be honest, are you used to being trapped? Does captivity feel normal because you have been bound for so long?

I stood there and thought, these chickens are so stupid. I have stood back too and looked at my own life and said, BETSY, this is so stupid! GET OUT!

There is an alternative and it is summed up in one word: Christmas!

No, not Saint Nick or Christmas cookies, but Jesus. He was born a baby in a manger and died for my sin, your sin. The whole purpose of his birth, life, and death was to SET YOU FREE. Captivity is sin and on the cross, He paid the price and died to take care of the chains that bound us.... Died for your sin, paid for your freedom.

Maybe nobody knows what HAS you trapped, maybe the whole town knows, it does not matter. Believe in and call on the name of Jesus, and you will be set free!


Check out the picture of the chickens. A wise one finally came out and then the others stayed in and just looked out at their free friend. Don't just stay in and look out, GET OUT TODAY.

Labeled packages, life with labels?

I have tried this year to do more online shopping to free us up totally when we are out of school in a few weeks. I started with a birthday gift for Banner from Best Buy delivered before her big 13th on December 2nd. Brazos helped me with the box and hid the Best Buy label from her until he could cut it off. He neglected to see the side label that said Best Buy on the first line and exactly what it contained on the second line. Her eyes locked in on it the minute we sat the box down.
I am watching more closely now when we pick up our items at the gate.

I keep on thinking...what if life's trials came labeled telling us exactly what the "fight" would be, how long it would last, and a step by step manual of exactly how to make it through the battle. That seems so nice!

Life, as we all know, does not come with a nice and neat label daily telling us what to expect next; however, when we have Jesus in our hearts, the Holy Spirit lives in us and guides us every step of the way. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit when he was with the disciples before His death on the cross. John 16:13 says "but when he, the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.".

If the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you have a guide everyday! We just have to listen. That is the closest thing to a "labeled" life that I can think of.

Can we question God?

On a much needed run this week to clear my head, the thought came to me... Can we question God? I mean like, is it ok to get mad, scream, yell, hit the steering wheel with both hands and ask Him WHY? To really question Him, the creator of all, with tears streaming down your face from a heart so overflowing and full of questions that you can't even hold it in any longer? (yes, a run on sentence, but if you have ever been in this situation, you know the feeling and can relate it to my grammar!)

I think the answer is YES based on one condition: having a personal relationship with Him. Let me explain. I can question my husband on things that I would not dare question another man on or a stranger at the convenient store. I can question my children on things, get frustrated with them, and demand an answer in a manner that I would never do with someone else's kids at school. It's based on a relationship! They question me too for sure because I love them, know them, and want to keep communication lines flowing at all times. We mend in this home and get stronger many times after we do have a good heartfelt, sometimes negative and full of emotions, chit-chat.

In relationships, questions and even heated discussions are good and much better than if there is no communication at all! I would much rather fuss and carry on with my teen than never see her because she hibernates in her room 24-7 on her phone.

See where I am going with this? Keep communication lines open with Jesus at all times, even when you are in total desperation and even upset that He is the God of the universe and seemingly allowed a death, a diagnosis, a divorce, a tragedy, or something to happen that totally divides your heart or home. Keep on talking to Him. Be honest and open because He already knows what you are feeling anyway, dear child of God.

David, a man after God's own heart questioned the Lord often. In several of his Psalms you can hear the rage in his words: Psalms 61 starts with "Hear my cry, O God." 64 begins with "Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint." Many of David's Psalms start with some questions, but they always end with praise!

I have to be honest. I have thrown up a set of questions or two at the Lord recently: a precious little baby girl going home to be with Him, our Eagle, Jonya and her husband, my mom, other Moms and Dads taken home a big too soon for human logic, the recent school rampages, you fill in the blank; however, I will keep on praying, keep in talking to The Lord, and trusting Him that He knows all, sees all, and will one day bring judgement on this fallen world!

On a personal note, when I have questioned The Lord, He has always whispered a word of peace in my ear! He has not always given me a answer, but He has always given me a scripture, a gust if wind at just the right time, a red bird on a gray day, a phone call from a friend at just when I was going under, or a song with just the right message and words of HOPE! Jesus has never let me down, even in times that I just don't get it! I don't get it, but I get HIM!!!

Anytime too that life has sent me to my knees, no matter the reason, I have always gotten up stronger!

I love this word in Psalms 38:15 "I wait for you, O Lord, you will answer, O lord, my God."

Funny flu tales

My girls both tested positive for the flu. The things I have heard around here the past few days have been so funny!

Bosque to Blaise - you are not even really sick. It's no fair that you get that sprite.

Bosque to me - you got the girls those Naked juice drinks. I said yes Bosque because they need more veggies. He replied with "We can eat veggies too."

Banner to Bosque when he was being too loud - go crawl in a hole!

Branden to a teacher at school - us boys are sleeping outside in a tent.

Blaise to Banner - are you going to fix your hair before we go to the doctor?

Banner to me when she stood up this morning - I feel like one of those needle dolls!

Brazos to everyone - I will be outside!

Blaise in the form of a simple note has requested a sick prize from anyone who will buy her one!

Really overall - a sense of Quietness! Our house is usually does not resemble anything that can be called quiet. It has been quiet in the daytime with the girls!

Oswald Chambers this morning reminded me of another type of quiet that I have often questioned.

He wrote "Has God trusted you with a silence-a silence that is big with meaning? God's silences are His answers."

I think after we pray and ask, the Lord may give us a silence to test us. We have to know even in the periods that we don't think we see Him, hear Him, or maybe He even doesn't act in the manner we think He should, God is present and at work!

I often joke that He is silent at times with me because He wants to make sure I will not revert back to my old ways, jump on a plane to Vegas, and put it all on black or red.

No, I am not doing that. In the ups and downs, I'm going to rely on the Lord and know in my heart that He will never leave my side! Even when He is quiet!

Unused gift?

A few years ago I bought myself a Rumba, the robot vacuum cleaner, and used it like a mad man until it wore out. Useful gift I would say!

Bosque boy picked himself out a new pair of Nikes a few weeks ago that killed his feet the first day he wore them by the end of school. I surprised him with a little gift my friend suggested: gel inserts for his shoes. He was "balling" again the next day with comfortable feet. A useful gift I might say!

It would have been insane for me to have NOT used my Rumba when I could. It saved me so much time and made my life easier. Likewise, it would have been crazy if Bosque had taken the inserts out of his shoes and just continued to walk in pain.

I need to make a point here because there are so many people right now I know who are really hurting and we must get involved by giving them a useful gift: the gift of prayer. They might not be at a point where they can pray and call on the Lord for help, so we as a community of believers will need to USE the knowledge we have, put our prayers to use, activate our faith and lift up those in need. We have to use the gifts the Lord has given us. Talking about what has happened may make us feel better, but prayer will change things and bring real comfort.

The verse that comes to mind is Philippians 4:9 "whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Get to work today while you work at the bank, the school, in your home, in the field, or while you are sitting in the classroom and pray for someone in need. Search your Bible for a verse that applies to their particular need and pray that verse out loud. That will put the gift of prayer to use! You will have peace too. Prayer does that!

Christmas light repair

My Pappaw was famous for trying to repair damaged strands of Christmas lights. We were dreaming of hanging ornaments and he was fixated on the defective ONE bulb. Brazos had turned out to be THAT member of my family. We have a beautiful tree with a not so
beautiful section of lights that are not working. Braz has had us all running around here trying to locate replacement bulbs to make it work. Blaise just wants to hang the pretty stuff. Bosque just wants to be left alone to watch Rattlesnake Republic. Banner, being 13 Sunday, is just over it!!

I read a verse in James this morning about lights that caught my eye. James 1:17 says "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows."

I needed this verse. My mind had been on gifts of a whole different kind: the gifts on my shopping list. There is ONE true gift that will last forever! His name is Jesus. His gift of life, salvation, and hope here on earth is FREE! That is Christmas. I get it! Now, Lord, help us with these lights.

Old Dodge pick-ups in heaven?

Brazos again for this short note. He just turned 11, loves George Jones, Tom T. Hall, and his Dad's old pick-ups. The green Dodge is a 1990 model. Braz has big plans to drive it to high school. He said this week that he will never sell his Dad's old trucks. He even went so far as to say that HIS kids better not sell them! He wants the trucks to be here forever. "Can I take them to heaven, Mom?" he asked me yesterday.

I had to break it to him that he can't take anything to heaven. Then I changed my anything to...there is one thing we CAN take with us to heaven I believe: the people we have told about Jesus. We can take them.

When we share the love of Jesus with others and they too invite Him into their hearts, we are in a way taking them with us to heaven. Our relationships with people are the only thing that really will outlast this earth.

John 15:16 says "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last."

Share something with someone today that will last! A smile, a word of encouragement, a verse, an invitation to a CHRISTmas celebration, an apology, a second chance, a bit of your time to show you care. Show someone Jesus today. Be Jesus today to someone! That is guaranteed to last!

Oh, and if God is making a room in heaven right now for my son, I believe it will be full of old pick-ups; however, the trucks will MEET Brazos there. He will not take them with him!

a ride in the dark

With the time change in full swing, we are finding a need to use the flashlights more and venture out in the dark to get our daily chores done.  Jr. High sports sometimes make us out a little later at night.  That was true last night.  It was totally dark when we got in; however, we had to take the trash to the dumpster down the road.  I loaded up my two big kids. I would NEVER do it on my own. I am a total wimp about that.  We got on the Ranger, turned on the big spotlight, and started out on our adventure. 

Our first stop was the chicken coop.  It needed to be closed.  I used the flashlight and found myself shining it out into the woods to see what could be out there in the distance, forgetting that there could be something right in front of me on the ground.  I reminded myself to keep my focus on what could be right in front of me and not out in the woods lurking.  One step at a time! 

By the dumpster, I had to grab my flashlight again.  I shined it out by the road and even watched a truck out there to see what it might be up to.  I forgot again that there could be snakes, coons, skunks, loads to creepy crawly things right there by my feet.  AGAIN...a need to focus on only what was near me.  Brazos, being the son that he is, placed a fake snake by the dumpster when I was not looking.  We will not go into details about how I reacted when I saw it.  I was a WRECK!

There is a remedy in the Bible for this type of worry, fear, and thinking about what is next instead of what is right in front of us.  The Message says "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."  Matthew 6:34 in the NIV says the same in different wording.  "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I was visiting with a friend who is dealing with a huge battle!  Both of her parents have cancer.  She said that she only lives one day at a time.  She does not think about next week, next month, or what will happen next.  She is so wise!  She is focusing on what is NOW and today, not allowing herself to go into what is next, what may be.  The worry that could creep into her life would drive her crazy if she did not focus on ONLY the here and now.

Focus on what is right in front of you, leaving the future in the future, not allowing any worry to creep in this week and enjoy Thanksgiving! 

Better with make-up

I was washing my face a few mornings ago side by side with Bosque as he brushed his teeth. We visited as we proceeded through our morning routine. He looked at me real seriously as I dried off my face and said "Grown ups look better with make-up.". I glanced up at myself and totally agreed with my sweet and honest 8 year old son. I'm all for natural with some things in life and am a pretty low maintenance woman, but I sure must agree with him that I look better with make-up. He spoke the truth!

Reminds me of another kind of truth: the Word of God. We can search high and low for good advice, counsel with friends, add more apps on our phones to aide us in this walk, but we will never find any other source of truth that will compare to the Word of God.

Many think that looking at the Bible as a source of truth will make their lives boring, add a list of rules to live by, or even condemn them to the point of guilt. The Word is not like that at all! With the truth, there is freedom, joy and a dose of real direction that we all need to keep us going! The truth brings life!

Hebrews 4:12 tells us "The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.".

Tuck me in

I had a surprise request from my 12 year old daughter last night... Especially because she is taller than me, stronger than me and perhaps more sure of herself than me as well! She was in bed and ask me if I would tuck in her feet like used to do.

My hands were full, a hot tea, a water, and a book. I asked her if her sister could do it because I was carrying a full load. She quickly replied with a NO and informed me that I was the best "tucker-iner" or some word like that.

How could I resist? I made a deposit in my room of all that I was carrying and made my way back to her. No way could I have turned her down or even made her wait! Her request was granted and granted with joy.

If you are a parent, you have a real, concrete way to understand your relationship with Jesus Christ. He parents and feels like we do, when we do it right! He loves us, wants what is best for us, and even though it hurts Him, He will discipline us when necessary to get our attention and to get us back in the right track! Good parenting, huh? He also loves to bless us and can even tuck us in, make us feel safe when needed, and can pick us up literally when we fall, clean us up, and help us stand up straight again.

Matthew 7:11 touches on this truth. It says "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give a good gift to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who love him?".

Do your part today. Nurture your most important relationship. Salvation is great, but we can't stop there. Just like we crave to know our children more, walk with them, talk with them, bless them, your Father desires that with you!

Help me

I looked out of my dirty back glass this morning of my car and read a note. It said "Help me." I started laughing as usual about the normal amount of chaos that I live with in my life and then I asked who was the author of my note. I also expressed a certain amount of concern because what if someone read the note and thought we really needed help.

Brazos told me he was the guilty party. I asked him when he did it. He told me that it was dark and cold last night and he was trying to get the to-go boxes in the car by himself, we were not helping him, it was hard, so he wrote that he needed help!

How clever! When we are in need of help, we should let it be known! We should cry out to Jesus, a friend, a teacher, someone...anyone!

Help comes and the Lord gets involved the minute we pray, the second we ask! Psalms 34:17 says "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them. He delivers them from all of their troubles."

From Jesus Calling

The kid's version of Jesus calling said something that was just perfect to me. "When you are facing a tough time, think about these 3 things: your relationship with Me, My promises in the Bible, and past experiences of making it through hard times."

I love the 1,2,3 idea of it, a nice a simple formula for hard times. I mean hard times like a diagnosis, a job loss, a seemingly lost child, or even just a few days where the bill gets lost, the boss criticizes, or the dog tears up the new flowers. Difficult times in life can be massive or when life just seems to be a mess because of a hundred little things bugging you.

For any and every situation, the above 3 items will work! Your relationship with the LORD, His Word, and the times HE has stood by you in the past will get you on the road to recovery.

When I look at my past and all the Lord has brought me through, I am amazed! He is faithful and He has been so good to me. This old picture of my kids takes me back and reminds me that Jesus is real and my relationship with Him is real!

This picture was taken right before I was diagnosed with cancer. A quick glance back at how little my babies were at that difficult time makes me KNOW that God can get me through anything else that may come my way. HE is worthy of praise!

Too tired

Brazos is a fabulous speller. He can out spell me any day. I am helping him with a challenging science packet and he just got confused on b or d. Which was which had him stumped! I remember in first grade that he had the same issue. He mastered the b/d issue by writing the word bed. The b and d in the word "bed" served as his markers and kept him on the right track.

I would not expect this problem to come back in the 5th grade. He was tested for only a few seconds, then his brain kicked back in, and he was back in action writing away.

Why the temporary loss of brain power? My sweetie is tired! We all are more susceptible to memory lapses, brain farts, confusion, and even fits when we are tired.

Maybe we all do too much? Maybe we let our kids do too much? Maybe keeping up with the family next door, and not just for money, but also for bragging rights about how good our kids perform, play, or even how wonderful their grades are, wears us all out if we are really honest!

Has my family figured this out? No! But, I will say that I enjoy a day in the backyard as much as a I do a day earning a trophy. Maybe I am odd...I feel like I have lived many years of my life on a "merry go round" and from time to time, I give myself and my family the right to jump off and just be home!

When I am overwhelmed again and the pace picks up too much, I remind myself that I could need more rest, less activity and less coffee!

Why have the sales on energy drinks skyrocketed? Are we really happy doing more and working more so we can do more that costs more?

Pull everyone out, do nothing, stay home to garden, knit our own sweaters for winter, and chop wood for fireplace? I think not, but we should allow ourselves the right to say no to too much, stay in, and remember how to be a family. The activities, hustle and bustle of life will go on forever, but my time here with my family all at home will not go on forever.

"Be still and know that I am God" from Psalms 46:10 is the key. If I am so busy that I can never get still and know God, then how will my family and loved ones see God in me? I've got to be more than just a tired, stressed out, hurried parent! God can help me be more and you too!

Grass Stains & 5 minutes

The morning after Halloween I asked my son why he had grass stains on his new khaki pants.  It was hard for him to answer my question because me asking it made him start laughing uncontrollably.  When he finally could spit out the answer, he told me that the grass stains happened when he fell down in the yard because he was laughing so hard.  Wow, I thought...what a GREAT thing.  To laugh so hard, to be so happy, so full of joy, so totally cracked up that you fall down.  That is what I crave. Most adults probably do if we are honest since life for the average grown up can be pretty serious and stressful. 

My mind went to JOY and my old favorite verse in Psalms 16:11.  It says "You have made known to me the path of life.  You will fill me with joy in your presence."  When I discovered this verse back in the 90s, it was life-changing for me.  I wanted joy.  I needed JOY and I found out how to get it in this verse.  Joy would come to me when I made time in my day to get in His presence.  Not a mystery, just a daily practice and habit that I would need to keep if I was going to have anything in my life that resembled JOY.

I have to admit that as I approach my 40s, I seem to be tired more.  My snooze is my BFF and I press it more and more.  I have had years when I was involved in pretty in-depth Bible Studies and I got up really early to read, write, and study.  The past few months I have been in the presence of the Lord daily, but really only for 5 minutes or so.  I get my coffee, go back to my bed, make it up, and then sit on my side with my cozy blanket and read one of my devotional books.  That is my 5 minutes.  That is how I begin my day and without it, I FAIL and there is no JOY!  I have to have that time with the Lord.  I am sure that my energy will come back and my time may be more, but let me tell you that I can testify that the 5 minutes is life changing.

I recommend Jesus Calling by Sarah Young or Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.  There are so many good devotional books out.  Combine that with a Psalms read out loud and a prayer, and you are ready to go!  More would be better, serious study is needed at times, but this simple 5 minutes at the beginning of the day will change your life. It is the way to have JOY.  Maybe not falling down in the grass laughter, but JOY!  Try it...don't wait til next year, try it tomorrow. 

The little note on conflict

Found the hand written note on how to deal with conflict that I previously had mentioned. It was originally taught by Dr. Charles Stanley. The notes were taken by Demar Hill. This will help you at home, work, school, church, on your teams, and in your circles!
1. Ask Holy Spirit for discernment and understanding.
2. Maintain a quiet spirit. (it's powerful)
3. Make no attempt to defend yourself.
4. Ask Holy Spirit to seal your lips. Psalms 141:3
5. View conflict as coming from God.
Then you can become protected and teachable before God.
6. Ask Holy Spirit if and where you are at fault.
Humility wins!

T.V changes

If you would have told me when I was in college and taping Days of Our Lives and THE REAL WORLD that I was going to one day come home from 8:30 til 11:00 most days to cook dinner, clean, and turn on Christian television shows, I would have laughed and probably thrown a drink in your face! Oh, the grace of God and 15 years!

Just today, Beth Moore on James Robinson said the most simple, profound thing: she said "Jesus Christ changes lives!"

Bishop Jakes belted out these statements:

Nothing will teach you to pray like trouble.

Grace may give u a thorn to keep you from being high and mighty.

Life will make you a prayer warrior.

Joyce is sharing a word and this struck me: looking at the problem will give you worry. Looking at God will give you faith.

I am encouraged! I am ready to face the world. Search your tv and radio for some good news and a good word!

Father/daughter arm wrestle

Three of my four children can now wrestle me on the trampoline and get me to the point that all I can utter is MERCY! I seem to be growing older and weaker. They seem to just be growing.

Banner bragged on her strength being superior to mine last night and then went on to say she could beat her daddy too. He laughed and suggested they just start with an arm wrestling match right then, right there at the table.

He let her carry on for a few minutes and then proved himself by only using half of his strength to beat her. Poor baby! That was my first thought. My second thought was: did she really think she could beat him? She would need to call in the army of her younger siblings and me to help her. The task will not ever be done alone.

When they began, she was full of herself! When they were finished, she was back to reality, knowing that her daddy is pretty strong. He gently provided her with a reality check by demonstrating his power and told her that she will need daddy around for a while longer!

Reminds me of myself when I think I can do anything alone! I can't. I fail daily when I step out alone at home, at work, anywhere and everywhere I go
without the help of my Father.

One of my life verses is: "I am the vine. You are the branches. If man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, apart from me you will do nothing.". John 15:5.

This verse is a biggie! We can do nothing without HIM! We will loose every time we step out alone. Are you connected to the Lord today or trying to do this thing called life alone?

Pet Pea?

Living with a large family is probably the main inspiration for my writing or perhaps writing and running up and down my country road are the only two things that will possible keep me sane.  My group does inspire me and with the Lord's help, I will remain sane.  My large group was smaller this weekend. The girls and I had some extra bonding time because it was opening weekend of deer season, youth weekend to be specific. 

Banner is a great baker.  She carries on, bosses us all in the kitchen, and loves it when she can totally take over a project and make it her own.  Can you say FIRST BORN child? 

She spent some time yesterday creating a perfectly moist and splendid red velvet cake and then topped it off with homemade cream cheese frosting.  It looked wonderful.  I had to sneak by before she properly unveiled her masterpiece and cut me a small sliver.  She said with her hands on her hips, "MOM, that is my pet peeve."  Sadly, I knew that it was, but I just could not resist. 

Blaise was in her usual spot perched on the bar and said, "Yeah, MOM, that is my pet pea too."  I questioned her choice of words by a raising of one my eyebrows and she confirmed her disgust with using the same exact words again,  "Yes MOM, that is my pet pea when you do that." 

Blaise does this often.  She copies the other members of her family attempting to preciously mimic us all, messing up and mixing up her words just a tad.  She cracks me up every time and reminds me that I too can be off the mark at times with many things in my life.  "Pet Pea" made me think that being close really does not cut it at times in life.  I heard a friend say years ago that partial obedience is disobedience.  She added too that delayed obedience is disobedience.  Ouch, and it still hurts.

If this sounds confusing, ponder this.  You ask one of your children to clean their room.  They do clean one area, but come nowhere close to cleaning the entire room.  Does that work?  Not really.  Maybe you ask your spouse to pick up a few ingredients at the store for you because you have a certain recipe in mind.  Does it work without all of the key ingredients?  Probably not!  Does pay the bill by Wednesday work if writing the check is delayed and it does not happen until Thursday or Friday?  I don't think so. 

When the Lord tells us to do something, we need to just do it.  That quiet nudge, soft whisper is meant to lead us and guide us.  Maybe it is a phone call you need to make, a friend who needs to hear from you, a relative who needs your forgiveness, or a sin or habit that you know to simply obey the Lord about.  The time is today for any and every type of obedience. 

Nothing makes me happier than an obedient child.  Life at home and work is so much more fun when everyone just does what they are supposed to do.  Life is not very fun for me when I am in charge if I am faced with disobedient people all around me.  Imagine for a moment how your Father in heaven must feel... when you obey, he is happy and proud of you, knowing that your good decision will lead to a blessing.  When you disobey or delay obedience, He must think..."Why?  Why?  Why do you make this so hard on yourself?"  He must feel frustration just like we do when our love ones are not obedient.  

Today, doesn't just take a step in the direction of oobedience, but obey fully. 

Jeremiah 7:23


"but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you."

Oh, I want my life to go well!  This must be the key.  This is GOOD NEWS!

Strong tower

I've had this visual of the Lord for a few years now. He is a pillar. He doesn't move or change. He's firm and grounded. He's forever stable and forever faithful. It goes with Proverbs 18:10. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are safe."

When I feel confusion and wonder if the Lord is present, overwhelmed and tired without a clear thought to stand on, or like a chicken with my head cut off running around to and fro, I only need to remind myself that I am the one running, circling, and changing.

The Lord has not changed! He is CONSTANT!

A look, a prayer, a silent plea in private to my Father and I back in connection with the Creator of the universe. That settles my soul, quiets my mind, and reminds me that safety is NEAR! I have a strong tower. Do you?

Time for...

Time to stop texting. Time to stop posting. Time to stop talking. Time to stop worrying and calling a friend to make you feel better. Time to stop pointing fingers and placing blame. Time to stop reasoning and replaying events, doctors reports, cure rates, offenses, hurts, words negatively spoken over you, gossip, and what the latest pole says about our nation in you mind.

It is to time to pray and live in faith. It is time to start a LIST in your home of what you are thankful for. Do it as an individual, family, business, club, or team. It is time to enter into HIS gates with Thanksgiving and praise. It is time to remind yourself that the Lord has NEVER turned HIS back on you and that He never will! We live in a fallen world, but Jesus has not fallen. He is alive and well in the hearts of His people. If you do not know Jesus as your Savior, it is time to get that right.

Let our words and worries for our local community and our town cease. Let our prayers begin!

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Faith is knowing Jesus is present when the trial begins. We have to, as believers, stop panicking at the first and grumbling through a trial, then praising our Father at the END that He was faithful. Let's begin to pray through the hard times, trust Him all along the way.

On the visual here, we as a community of believers need to go for option #2.

#1 is better than nothing, but 2 is living with FAITH!

Time to pray today and move forward in faith!

Fishing

I was running today and had a few thoughts about fishing and how it ties into life. 

Life takes patience.  So does fishing!  Some people are better at the game of patience.  Some people are experts at just sitting back, watching peacefully, taking in the scenery joyfully, and waiting for long periods of time with little or no action.  Others have to go out and make something happen!  These may be the Hillbilly Hand Fisherman, the ones that do not wait for a bite often and would literally go out and put the fish on their hook if they could.  There is no such thing as WAIT for many people, especially in the instant, drive-through culture we live in today.  (I am in the instant group often I must admit.)

I have seldomly been fishing with a group when there was not also a game of musical chairs or the GRASS LOOKS GREENER going on.  Around here, land or pier, if someone catches a fish, everyone else wants to move to that "honey hole" as we call it.  In life, we often want what others have.  We think their job, family, children, talent, clothes, house, land, toys, etc. must be better and wonder what would happen if we could just move on over into their territory and have a go at it.  Chances are that even with different surroundings, you would still be YOU and your life would still be YOUR life, meaning you would still have some green grass days and some days where the grass needs mowing, watering, and tended to, much like our relationships. 

Back to fishing...I am like a bobber at times.  Yes, I am and might I say a "busy, blonde bobber."  I have knowingly allowed myself to be CAST out into waters that I know are dark, destructive, and that quite honestly have no business in.  I have bobbed up and down when I could have still been safe and sound on the pier basking in the sun of my Lord and Savior.  Does this make sense at all?  Even if I am a believer in Jesus and I know I am one of His saved, chosen children, I have still allowed sin in my life and at times knowingly.  I am not and will never be perfect until the Lord calls me HOME to live with Him in heaven, but I also can not give up on holiness and aiming to live more like Jesus and less like the world.

Is there a logical solution to not bobbing? 
1.  YES, stay out of the water. If you have a weakness that the Lord has helped you identify, stay away from it.  Don't expect to be able to sit on the top of the water and just CHILL. You have, we all have, an enemy that will be in the dark, under the surface, lurking with an ugly scheme, and he will bring you down if you allow yourself to venture into his territory. 
2.  Don't compare yourself to others and think...well, at least I am not like so and so!  That type of reasoning means that you are already in unsafe waters and most likely beginning to bob.
3.  Understand this:  Your bobber will not be taken down for the same reasons mine will.  We are all different, made up of different DNA, behaviors, experiences, addictions, habits, etc.  Every believer in Christ must be willing to be honest about their own weaknesses and learn to avoid the places, people, stores, situations, and occasions that could cause them to change from a person of strength into a person of weakness.  When we are weak, we are susceptible to bobbing, being taken out, pulled under, hooked, and eventually destroyed by the hurt that is always a consequence of sin.  There is grace and forgiveness, but sin is always painful.  Ask the Lord to show you personally what may, can, will take you down.  I read Psalms 139 often and focus on the last few verses.  It is a guarantee to show me what the real story in my life is when I read it, sit, and listen to the Lord.
4.  Keep this in mind:  My former pastor at LHBC in Dallas, Mark Farish, said years ago "If you are on a diet, don't go in a donut store."  What words of wisdom those are!  They are profound words of wisdome and relate to my thoughts here well.
5.  When you find yourself on the edge and tempted to venture BACK into the old habit or sin  pattern, hit the play button in your mind and speak the Word out loud.  My last bobbing experience could have been avoided with these: 

John 16:33 says "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome this world."   

"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and He will come near to you."  James 4:7-8
 
I am loved, I am chosen, I am a child of God, the Lord has plans for my life.  (something my kids and I say daily on the way to school.)

Every believer will be tempted, face trials, and engage in a spiritual battle.  The good news is that you are not alone.  Come near to God and He will come near to you. 

I pray today we all take a step away from what can bring us down and a step in the direction of Jesus. 

Last volleyball game, one team!

There is Something pretty amazing about being in my OLD junior high gym watching the 7th grade girls play Mexia and now watching the 8th grade girls warm up.

The varsity volleyball girls just strolled in to watch and parked themselves, still in workout gear and with schoolbags, in the bleachers. So cute!!!

It is almost like the older team couldn't stand it. They just got up and went over to stand on the other side of the gym to be closer to the 8th graders and support them in their "Pregame" activities. Some dance, some just smile, some grab wild serves and gently toss them back to an 8th graders.

I just munch on popcorn and take it all in. There is laughter, music, and lots of conversation

Teamwork at its best is when different age groups are all together supporting each other, setting an example for each other, and knowing that really we are one team! The example being set here today makes me so thankful that I live in and am blessed enough to raise my kids in Fairfield!

I call it unity. I pray for unity for family, school, church, and community. We are building more here than just good teams. We are building lives together. We are called to build well!

Will you help someone today build well and show them Jesus?

High school students: you are building a younger persons life whether you realize it or not because they look up to you!

Teachers: we build lives daily! May the Lord fill us up so we can overflow...even at 3:15 when we are tired!

Parents: ask the Lord to help you build today with love and kindness.

Support someone today on your TEAM and show them that you LOVE them by the example you set.

One note

Over 2 years ago a friend taught our lesson in Sunday school and passed around a handwritten copy she had jotted down when listening to a preacher. The notes were a numbered list of how to deal with conflict. I subbed that year and made a few copies of the note and passed it along.

Just this week my daughter's teacher mentioned the note and how it had helped her. I told her I could only take credit for passing it on. I was amazed at how the true words handwritten on notebook paper were still being passed around and used, nothing fancy, just TRUTH.

I know that the Bible tells us that the Word is powerful over and over again, but I realized that when we share the Word with others that amazing things can happen. So often we pass on gossip, our opinions, a tell it like it is text, a facebook comment, a critical word, or even just a little "jab" as my husband calls it. Let's face it: those things are NOT of the Lord and will never bring about anything worth a flip.

However, a word, note, verse, or even copy of a sermon or devotional will never be lost or forgotten. It may sit on a shelf, in a file, or in a book, but when it is found and read, it will bring LIFE and HOPE to the one reading it. Isaiah 55:11 says "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.".

Just a coincidence?

Last Friday I had to make a trip to Atwoods in Corsicana to pick up a few tree stands for the Monico boys. On the way out, I spotted a larger than life canister of PIK-NIKs, otherwise known as "The original shoestring potatoes. ". I bought them for Bosque because they are usually his snack of choice when we run into Rob's. I pondered the purchase and decided that he deserved a treat since his foot had a head-on collision earlier with a scorpion in the kitchen.

We walked out of school that afternoon about 4:30 too pooped to party and he said"Mom, do you know what I really wish I had for my snack today...some pick-NIKs". I nearly fell out because he had no clue that sitting in the back of my car was a can of then waiting on him. I thought...what a blessing! I was in the right place at the right time and made my kid's day!

Another one today: a friend came by the library and shared with us that her DR had recommended a extensive and complex procedure. I told her about my easier one and my DR. The phone rang and another friend standing there got a call from her DR about the same simple procedure that I had just mentioned within the last 2 or 3 minutes. Suddenly there was another option for our friend in need and it seems to be a much simpler solution.

Simply conversations of coincidence? I don't think so. I see it as divine intervention! When was the last time you had someone on your mind and the phone rang with them on the other end of the line? The Lord is at work. We must recognize it.

When the next challenge comes up or mood turns "sour" like mine did tonight, remember how the Lord has orchestrated the details in the past and that He will again.

Psalms 71:17 says "Since my youth, O God, you have taught me and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.".

Keep on declaring and He will keep on working!

Light it up!

Blaise got some new socks that are supposed to glow in the dark. They have to be activated...go figure! They are activated by light. She had out her Dad's high powered flashlight yesterday trying to charge them up! I am ashamed to say that I am not sure of the final outcome, but she sported them today in high fashion.

Her little light shining on the socks reminded me that we all have a light to shine. Jesus is the real light. He is the true source of all light, but uses us to do His work. He desires to shine through each of us.

I have seen people all around me shining today. Banner, the oldest Monico, was shining bright when she nicely encouraged and helped the crew get ready this morning. Grandparents were shining at volleyball games and the elementary students were shining today at the pumpkin patch. Bosque was my shining light tonight because he helped pass out food here in Fairfield and said when he is a teenager and can drive, that he will be driving up to town on Mondays to help.

Your light is either on of off, have you invited Jesus into your heart?

Maybe you are the only light around at home, work, or school. Shine bright because you may be responsible for witnessing to those closest to you

We all shine in different ways. Don't compare yourself to others! (Personality Plus by Florence Littauner helped me learn this.)

Check out Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala to get your light brighter if you feel dim.

Blessings to you today. SHINE!

Sprained ankle

Two kids today at work had ankle issues. One was a young lady who had been to physical therapy and had cute, hot, pink tape to give her support. The other was a young man who turned his ankle in P.E. and had a miserable look on his face.

Both took me back to 3rd grade to the old high school gym and fourth quarter of a Little Dribbler's game when I am sure I had the greatest JUMP SHOT ever recorded in history.  I went up, shot released, followed through just like I had been taught, and came down...landing all wrong on my ankle.  I know I heard a pop, break, fracture to say the least.  After ice and elevation, I settled into the fact that I had a sprain.  I have never gotten over that one.

A verse that keeps on coming to mind since my attention has been drawn to ankles is Psalms 18:43 "You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn."  Have you ever felt like that for whatever reason you needed some extra help or a broader path?

Anytime we are walking with the Lord, not being perfect because we will never be, but seeking Him and spending time with Him in His Word, we have a promise.   He promises to stay with us at all times, guide us onto the right path, and even make the path broader when we may start to stray!  I love it!  It gives me hope and feels so good to know that in basketball I may turn an ankle again, but walking with the Lord and on His path for my life, I am safe and sound.

Coffee filters: MIA

I try to get up a few mornings a week and start the coffee for Branden when he is in the shower at 5!!! I stumbled in here this morning and nearly gave up on my task when I could not find the coffee filters! I searched high and low. I finally carefully rinsed out the old one and used it, making a decision to tackle the game of hide and seek in the daylight later and after I had a little more rest and some coffee. I decided to put off what needed to be done.

Oh! How often I do that! I put off paying bills, weeding my flowerbed, and even cleaning out the oven which today nearly set off the smoke alarms. However, the list just mentioned are things that can be put off! They can wait.

There are some things in life that CAN NOT wait. I'm dealing with a personal one now, not fun, but necessary for my survival and if the Lord is ever going to really have His way in my life!

Maybe I am the only one who has THAT ISSUE holding them down, keeping them in bondage, and popping up every now and then? I'm dealing with mine. I mentioned 2 weeks ago that I wrote out new notecards for my kids and was claiming in faith a verse for each of them. I'm adding one today for me! And... I better get up now and find the coffee filters.

The dog mess

My Bosque has been blessed with a strong sense of smell, at least on some days we call it a blessing when things in his surroundings smell pleasant! Today that was not the case because he discovered some dog mess on his shoe right after we left the house.

I am glad we were early to school because I had to do a major operation on his shoe before he would go into school, being suspicious of even the slightest odor. He prides himself on his personal care and covers himself from head to toe in AxE body spray every morning before he leaves the house so the dog poop odor was not going to cut it.

Right after I finished the "mission clean shoe" and sent Bosque on his way, I saw an ex student that I knew was moving today. I was able to stick a paper towel made card for him on his mom's window to wish him luck! It struck me that a blessing came to me because I was delayed at school and had to take care of the mess!

This week has been so humbling for me! The Lord is reminding me day after day to take care of my own personal messes in my life and that His blessings will follow. Such a humbling thought to think where I would be without Jesus in my life! I guess a MESS!

Flashback: Sam's & Outback

After a lazy, relaxing day yesterday without much physical or mental activity, My mind and body seemed to have worked all night in my sleep to make up for it. I was a waitress at Sam's here in Fairfield and the Outback in Arlington all night long. I woke up tired and frazzled because, like all nightmares involving waiting tables, I was the only waitress with a restaurant full of hungry, impatient guests. I frantically ran around all night in my sleep.

My first thought this morning was fact or fiction? Was I a part-time teacher or a busy, stressed out waitress responsible for an entire restaurant all by myself? My feet ache just thinking about the miles I would have to cover or that I did cover last night in my slumber.

Ah, a sigh of relief. The dreams were fiction and I still have my HOPE that I can do the job that is set before me today. HOPE because even when my plans fail, I goof up, or I allow my little world to become too busy, the Lord will hold me up and will not leave me alone in my own nightmares.

Dreams of falling, life failing? This is a promise from Psalms 37:23-24: "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand."

Washing the windows

Today I decided to spiff up the windows at home.  No, not all of them, but only the ones in the big room that drive me crazy when the evening sun comes in and it looks like we are trying to create window art with random dirt patterns.  I really thought when I completed the outside work that my job was done.  I skipped on in and was surprised when I discovered that my job was really just beginning.  The windows were dirtier on the inside than they were on the outside. 

Oh, inspiration in rare form and as usual, a thought came.  When we look at a problem in life, an unresolved issue, a conflict, we usually think, assume and even suggest to everyone involved that the problem is NOT an "inside" one or one with us, but the problem is an "outside" issue, like outside of ourselves and not our fault, but someone else is to blame.

It is really easy to place the blame elsewhere, cast the stone, or call the other party involved the dirty one!  This happens at work, home, in families, and with friends.  Most women think that IF only our husbands would change...life would be perfect.  Men do the same, can't let them off of the hook here.  Students blame the teacher and the teacher blames the kid.  Co-workers blame each other and brothers and sisters refuse to own up to any wrongdoing! 

I am learning when conflict arises to look inward and at myself first.  I studied Luke years ago and Luke 6:41 really hit me hard then.  Now, it comes back to mind.  Jesus is speaking and asks "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

Do you have conflict or unforgiveness in your life that you have easily blamed on someone else?  If so, maybe it is time to really analyze and decide if the source of the problem was an "inside" or an "outside" job.  This may help you see your true role in it.  Don't just sit around then with a clear view of the truth, do something about it and make it right! 

Relationships are made right and can only survive when we see the plank in our eye and then DIE TO SELF! 

Next week will start with a FUN blog.  This one is tough.

Big T

For those of you who knew Big T, no explanation needed. For those reading who did not, he was a larger than life, big man with a big heart. The Big T chili cook-off is this weekend. My crew will go some. I guess my son, Brazos, has Big T on his mind because he wrote about him in a poem today, thus inspiring my blog for today. My kids loved Big T and the way he would effortlessly sit on the back porch here and shoot the bull with them.

Gary P. Nunn coined a phrase about Big T years ago that is worthy of some thought. Gary said "Big T is all give and no take." We should all take note and make life more give than take! Jesus himself said it is better to give than to receive.

I read a book this week to kids at school called The Pumpkin Runner by Marsha Arnold about a man who won $10,000 in a contest and only kept enough for some new overalls and boots. I asked my students what they would do with the money if they had won it. I was amazed: I heard give to charity, the children's home, a cancer patient, church, and even to an older sibling wanting to go to college.

That's all give and no take! That's the key to happiness in life.

One problem, one play, one pitch

Sitting here at the table helping Bosque w subtraction and he has to borrow! He gets ahead of himself and starts crossing out numbers trying to borrow before he even knows he has to. He has torn a one inch hole in his paper from erasing. He can't seem to go one step at a time!

I'm watching the Rangers and can't help but think the players and their fans may suffer from the same issue as Bosque... Not being able to just deal with one pitch, one out, one game at a time. I already had myself at the World Series again and now there may be a play off game Friday to decide their fate.

Humans tend to struggle with taking one day, one play at a time. Our minds go to what's next instead of what's now. We worry about what COULD happen and rob ourselves of present joy!

There are many scriptures that teach this. Today I will go with the one that hangs in my hallway: Be still and know that I am God. Psalms 46:10.

Take a deep breath and say it out loud!

Be still, rest in the fact that God is God and live life one day at a time, one play at a time, one problem at a time!

Pressing on...

Why is it that somedays just seem to flow and others, well... They seem like a fight or like a disaster, a total nightmare? I sure don't have an answer, but I do know that hard days are usually days that we are run and ruled by our feelings and that life is just so full of questions we could just scream! My better days are the ones that I keep my feelings in check and focus on the truth. A truth that will always give me some pep in my step or some HOPE in my day that seems to be absent of HOPE is this one "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Hebrews 3:12-14.

Praying today for those who need the HOPE to press on. Our only goal in life has to be a relationship with Jesus and life here on earth with Him, followed by eternity in heaven. If you need that, ask Him.

Give a word

Sitting here at Baylor Dallas for my 6 month check-up, sipping my familiar coffee, hot chocolate mix that used to soothe my tummy when it was in knots.

A husband sitting just to my left uses a walker. He is the caretaker for his precious, elderly wife in a wheelchair. The nurse helped them get to their room. A man behind me just whispered to his wife, "You aren't worried, are you?". I am able in this present state of great health to just take it all in. People look at me like I am too young to be here in my Eagle volleyball Tshirt and tennis shoes.

I just met a new nurse of Dr. Copper's who was super sweet. We talked baseball, kids, and marriage. Now I sit and wait. I can hear Dr. Cooper's voice in the room next to me practically begging a man to eat more. I hear him suggest daily banana splits, only at a cancer hospital would you hear that.

My goal of the day here is to encourage someone with a smile, a word, or maybe a door held open. We can do that everywhere we go, you know. An encouraging word is free and easy to give at work, the grocery store, school, or especially at a place like this where lines of worry seem to frame everyone's face.

I silently pray...Lord, let me encourage someone here today. Maybe even my doctor who lives and breathes in this cancer filled place everyday of his work week. May my good health fill him with a needed dose of hope.

My mind is on this search for someone to encourage obviously because of where I today, but also because Bosque, my 8 year old, encouraged me last night. When we were unloading the car last night after a road trip to the Ranger game, he looked up from the pile in his arms that he was struggling to tote in and said, "What would we do without mom?". That simple question from the mouth of a babe was all I needed to keep me going. His kind words motivated me and I perked up. I plan to motivate and encourage someone today! I'm on the hunt. What could I possibly to today that would have more meaning? Nothing!

Proverbs 16:24 says pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the souls and healing to the bones.

Proverbs covers what negative words, gossip, and lies do as well. Let's just save that for later.

Following the chickens

I made a quick dash today to Mexia. It was a beautiful morning. I had on some peaceful music playing and my coffee was hot. The drive there was just what I needed, blissful. On the way home the view changed drastically when I got behind an eighteen wheeler hauling chickens. No, not like chickens ready to boil, but live, white feather wearing, pooping chickens. I laughed and thought... Now isn't that a picture of life and how within just a few minutes the scenery can change. Even when we have been living on a somewhat mountaintop, there is always a little something clouding our view or throwing some MESS our way. I remembered a verse that I love from Psalms 17:6: I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. That is the remedy for days when life looks more messy than marvelous! He will answer you, so stop, look up, and pray.

Sibling day

Banner informed me last night that it was SIBLING DAY. When I pulled out my 4 notecards this morning to pray for my kids, the part on her card about UNITY really jumped out at me. The verse is from Psalms 133:1. "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.". As a mother of four and a teacher who desires unity with my students at school, this verse could easily inspire a tattoo if I was in the market for one! Unity does make life pleasant! Laundry, dishes, and boring projects become family fun with unity. My unity prayer was answered this morning when Banner asked me to get a $100 out of her lamb check from the county fair to give to Brazos because he helped her when she was on the road playing ball last spring. My jaw dropped, my hands nearly slipped off of the wheel, and my heart rejoiced! A prayer answered from just this morning, the desire of my heart was unity and the Lord heard my prayer. Stand in the gap today for a loved one and pray the Word for them. Maybe someone you know is too sick, too proud, too lost, too busy, or just too blind to pray. You can connect them to the Lord and He will hear your prayer! A simple visual has helped me see my role in this. It's pretty amazing because the Lord could do it all Himself but He chooses to involve us. Would u ever let go of someone you loved and let them fall? I doubt it, so don't ever stop praying. Maybe you are the only one the Lord has in the gap for them.

Something has to go

Our lab, Belle, frequently visits the indoors in the winter months but usually stays outside in the warm weather. I looked at her sweet face this morning, reflected on how she follows Brazos in the woods everywhere he goes, and decided to let her in this morning for a treat! She brought her old, blue frisbee in with her and excitedly followed me to the laundry room where we stash her treats. She had a problem when I passed her the bone because it belonged in her mouth and the frisbee was still positioned there as well. She paused, dropped the frisbee, and accepted the treat! What a smart girl she is! It made me think... How often do we hold onto something old and miss the treat that the Lord is trying to give us? Maybe it's an old wound, an old habit, a worry, a regret, even an old view of someone or a situation that simply needs to be put down! Today break free, let go, and you might just have room in your life for a new blessing! If you are exhausted from carrying a heavy load, try this: "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. Jesus may want to do a new work in you today, do your part and allow Him to take away some of the old junk you have been carrying.

The day the peas fell

I have been reading the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It is a life strategy to give thanks daily for everything and to keep your mind in the moment by recognizing life's blessings. This is the kind of book that is so amazing that I am intentionally reading it slowly. It is like a piece of chocolate and I have to savor each page. The idea in the book is to make a list of 1000 gifts. Mine today include having fun with homework, great coffee, Bible study, the fact that lunches are packed, my job, and the list goes on and on. Maybe at the top of my list is wrestling with Bosque on the trampoline! We love it! It makes me think of an incident a few days ago. I spilled the bowl of peas and Bosque was so excited because he hates them! If he was participating in my 1000 gifts experiment, I am sure he would have listed... The peas falling! Count blessings today! Recognizing gifts from God ushers you into a spirit of thanksgiving and JOY follows!

30 days

It dawned on me early yesterday morning that my family has mastered the basics of the 2012 school year. We have all adjusted well. The Lord impressed upon my heart that the routines were down and it was time for me to do a little more. (as if that is even humanly possible). The MORE was simple: a notecard for each of my kids with one need on it and a scripture to apply to this need. This type of prayer is intentional! This type of prayer does not mean praying just when the thought pops up or when the issue comes up. It is an every morning, out loud thing!! The Lord wants us to use His word and apply it to every aspect of our lives! Join me and give it 30 days. Trust the Lord to work based on His word. It does not return void!

Random in the routine

When I was a kid, and especially a young teen, one of our favorite ways to "cut-up" in town was to perform a Chinese Fire drill.  We used to pile out of Linda Emmon's van or anyone else that would tote us around town, make a circle around our parked vehicle as fast as we could and then jump back in.  It was great fun and always made us laugh!  I don't even know if really "this" was a proper Chinese Fire drill, but we called it one and we so enjoyed it!

I have been telling my kids that they should try a Chinese Fire drill in the morning after we drop of Banner at the Jr. High just for fun.  Banner is way too on task and wants to be at school too early, so she would not want to be an active participant in our morning silliness. 

Today Brazos and Blaise took me up on the offer.  Bosque would have, but his shoes were not on yet as usual!  We were on a little side street over by the high school.  I stopped, threw the car in park, and they jumped out.  They made their lap around the car in about six seconds and jumped back in.  We giggled and were off again on our way to school. 

Watching them have some random fun was fun to me!  Yes, it does not take much to excite me.  I am labeling this type of activity "RANDOM in the ROUTINE."  I think we all need more of it! Our backpacks are always laid out in the floor, shoes in the right baskets, and lunches are typically made on time; therefore, I have taught my kids how to live an organized and routine life.  Maybe now we need to add in some random. 

My morning made me think of my favorite verse in Psalms 16:11 "You will fill me with joy in your presence."  Ask the Lord to fill you with JOY!  Hang out with Him, read your Bible, spend some time in prayer, open your eyes to your many blessings, and prepare to giggle, laugh, and have some fun.  He is the author of JOY.   JOY is all over us when we follow JESUS and live in His presence.  JOY is contagious.  I want more of it.  What about you?

Today I found JOY while watching my kiddos in a total random activity.  We put some random in the routine and this busy Mom needed it.  Thank you, Lord!

Spring Break Observations

I headed to the front porch one morning this week to enjoy my coffee, listen to the martins up and about already making their familiar and comforting noise, and to just take it all in with the lake in view. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I knew soon the activity would begin and not cease again until bedtime at 11 or 12 since Spring Break gets us in late-night movie mode right from the jump. I rocked back and forth in my chair and thanked God for the stillness and beauty. Right about the time that I took a deep breath and thanked the Lord for the peace in my life and peace in my "land" at home, a chicken startled me and ran right past my feet across the porch. We only have four chickens at the moment who have managed to survive out here in the country, so it was all the more funny to me that just one single one was on a mission all by itself. He/she/whatever it was didn't even pause to look at me and see if I had any bread to throw its way, it just scampered by...what is the verb here I should use for a chicken movement? Ah, I am not sure! I laughed out loud because is was like the Lord was showing me that right about the time I settle in and think life will be calm and quiet, that I better be ready. Because even for those of us who believe in Him and try to live our lives in a way to please Him, life will have ups and downs and keep us on our toes. I really should say life will keep us on our knees no matter what! However, that does not worry me! I thought of the verse in John 16:33 that says "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world."





I also found myself laughing this week at another kind of bird that lives here on our premises. We also have a few guineas that call this place home. They run around here from dusk to dawn throwing a FIT and fussing at each other. Lord forgive me for this and forgive me if I offend any members of my sex, FEMALES, but our guineas remind me of a group of women on the loose! I watched them one day last summer all "laying out" in the front yard. It was like they were sunning their feathers. After 10 or 15 minutes of total peace, quiet, and stillness, one of them stood up, started squawking, and got the rest of them all up immediately in a total fuss! They do that all day. The times of walking peacefully are always interrupted by one of them deciding to be louder than the others and seemingly pestering one of the crowd until the one provoked fights back. It is a funny sight to see and even funnier to listen to. Now, how this relates to women...I better say right away that I am not perfect at all, because WE women sure can get excited over the littlest thing and then start yapping and get a whole crowd in a fussy over a variety or topics and ideas. Enough said! There are so many verses about unity. Do a search in your Bible and discover how and why we should not get in a fuss so often! (AND....Oh, I threw at least two fits last night...not at other women, but at my family. I was such a guinea!)





My final thought has grown from an observation from my time with our dog, Belle. She is a blond lab who thinks she is our fifth child around here. Belle loves to play fetch! Love is not a strong enough word! She lives and breathes to play fetch! She sleeps at times with one of her blue balls in her mouth. Belle is so persistent. She never gives up! She will jump up on the trampoline if we are all up there and let the ball fall out her mouth hoping someone will throw the ball for her and then she leaps off. Today I was swinging with Blaise and every time that I was up in the air and Belle could, she would place her ball right in the path of my swing and then I would panic and have to put the brakes on so I did not hit her as I came back down in the air. I have spent some time in my flowerbeds or should we say "weed beds" and Belle even carefully places her ball in my trash bucket full of weeds. Like I said, she does not give up! She puts the P in persistent. I realized one day last week that I needed a few lessons from Belle! I do not need to give up with what I know the Word says and with what the Lord has promised me for those around me. Hebrews 12:1 is one of my favs. It says "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked our for us!" Don't give up today, hang in there, and do not walk, but RUN to Jesus!

Just one job....

I asked my three children that were at home yesterday to please do one job for me and then to pick up their rooms. Banner quickly knocked out the dishes and got her room back in order. Blaise moved through 4 or 5 jobs...she did a few of the windows, vaccuumed a bit, and even reminded me that one job she did was getting me a new roll of paper towels. That one cracked me up!

Bosque thought he had mastered the art of helping me and also doing what he loves to do. He asked if he could watch t.v. in my bed and do the laundry on every commercial. I agreed. When I finised a few of my jobs, I checked back with him to see how he was progressing. I saw a pile of laundry still on the bed and then one pile seperated that had in it his Peterson jersey and one red Hurley t-shirt. I said, "Bosque, how is the laundry going."

He looked up, sat up actually and said these words..."Now, Mom, on the first commercial I forgot to start. I did these TWO shirts of mine on the second set of commercials, and then on the third ones...I had to go to to the bathroom. I am waiting on the next one now to really get started." When he managed to get out that last bit about his future plans, he laid back down.

Oh, I could blog for days about the different personalities of my children or their very special motivations in life, but that is not what Bosque's lists of excuses reminded me of. He reminded me of ME...He reminded me of how adults function in the Kingdom of God!

How many times do I put things off that should be taken care of? Now, please understand that I am not talking about the fact that we just yesterday took the Christmas wreath off of the front gate or the fact that I have a thank-you that I have needed to mail for over a week. I am talking about putting off things that really matter!

I know a friend who is very burdened by unforgiveness and it may be time for this person to claim a verse, date it, pray it, accept God's grace, and then even go to that person and say the bitterness has been released. When the negative and even toxic feeling of unforvineness comes back, they will have a verse to pray that includes a PROMISE from the Word of God that with Him all things are possible and that does include FORGIVENESS!

I often give the Lord most of my life, but put off dealing with and withold just a little bit for my own fleshly desires. Our walk with the Lord can not be like a recipe that says to withold one cup of the mixture for later. We can not pick and choose what we offer to the Lord and ask Him to help us with it, but then keep part of our sin....just putting off obedience. If your heart has been searched and an issue has a red flag by it delivered straight from the Holy Spirit, then deal with it sooner instead of later.

I don't know what it is for you today...maybe a phone call to an old friend, a visit to someone who has been on your mind, or an afternoon spent reading your Bible instead of watching another old movie, but do not put off the Lord's work. He could do it all Himself, but He chooses to use US! That blows my mind everytime.

We must listen and obey today. I love this verse in Matthew 13:14. Jesus says to the disciples "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."

I want to live my life in a way that lets Jesus Christ know I GET IT! I want to walk with Him daily and say in my spirit...Jesus, OK, I get what you are telling me to do and YES...I will do it!
I will not wait until...
the next commercial,
the next day I have off of work,
until my house is clean,
my kids are bigger,
I have a different job or a promotion,
my spouse is ready to do it with me,
this semester is finished in college,
the cows are worked,
I get that other bill paid off,
until I get the yard mowed or the garden plowed,
or when that person comes to me and makes it right.
I GET WHAT YOU ARE SAYING LORD,
and Yes,
I will do it!