This is it!

I just got a picture from my brother in law that he snapped over spring break. I opened it and immediately thought: this is it!

It's the kids and I at White Rock enjoying ice cream from the ice cream truck. This picture screams to me: THIS IS IT! This is what it is all about. The smiles, the laughs, the sunshine, and the simple fun times that can be shared when life is simple and there is not too much going on.

We only have one shot in this life on earth. Heaven will be forever, but this is not. What is your "this is it". Does it line up with how you spend your time? Does it line up with how you spend your money and energy? Life is too short to miss it.

Romans 10:9 is "IT" too. That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

What is your "This is it?"

Laundry issues

I often find interesting objects in my washer and dryer. I do a happy dance when it is money or something of value. I'm not as happy when it is gum left in a pocket of new Nike pants, lipgloss seemingly poured out on a blouse of mine, or pocket knives that flip, flop, turn, and rust!

Last week I found something interesting in my dryer. It looked like flaky bits of snow that had been blown into my laundry from a huge winter storm. Every bit of clothing was covered in it. I never found the source and couldn't concentrate on that, but began a shake to get it off of everything. I shook the clothes in the laundry room and had to immediately sweep. I had to give them another shake in my room before I could fold them on my bed. After 3 or 4 shakes, I reached the point that my clothes were no longer covered, but my floor was. Thus, the second sweep began.

I thought if how we too can be covered in things. We can choose to cover ourselves in the Word of God or we can choose to cover ourselves in the mess of the world. The choice is ours. What will you cover yourself with today?

I don't know about you, but I need to be covered in The Lord. Pray now if you have a need and ask Him to wrap you in His loving kindness and cover you with His strong arms.

Being intentional today...

I just completed an hour long journey through Walmart to restock our bare pantry. I started out with 3 lists. One of them was carefully composed this morning by my first born daughter. She knows what she wants and is not afraid to ask for it. (Study birth order and this will make sense.)

I laughed out loud when I saw her specific request for a certain kind of chocolate chips. She told me this morning that she was trying out a new recipe this week. Much like her father, she is a great cook. I marveled at her detail as I stopped on the baked goods isle and even snapped a picture of the list. Gotta love a person who is intentional in their planning and knows what they need.

We should all be more like that because if we are not intentional in our present society, we are going down. We will focus on more money, cooler phones, better looks, more trophies, greater accomplishments, what Hollywood says is IN, and really leave what matters in the distance!

What does matter? The way we spend our earthly days loving and serving others. A church sign in town says, "He must increase. I must decrease." That HE is Jesus and that sign sure is true. Jesus will not increase in our lives however if we are not truly focused on our DAILY walk with Him. Start today with your Bible and a few minutes of your time. See where that leads. I promise it will bless your day and then you can love and be a blessing to others.

It is finished

I have always been intrigued by the 3 words in the Bible: It is finished. These Words that Jesus spoke on the cross seem so simple; however, they are very complex and they have a meaning for us all today.

It is finished means to me today, the day after Easter, that the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave resides in every born again believer! It is finished. I am finished with_______. With Christ's help, this is the end of__________ and it is finished. Fill in the blanks. Take your pick.

Maybe today you need to close the chapter on something in your life. So many believers are plagued with things like insecurity, bondage, resentments, bitterness over the past, grief, jealousy, addictions, worry, that could today be put over in the victory column and taken out of the "issue" column of life. Move it on over!!!

Life will never be perfect, but living with a constant nagging and knowing "something" needs to go, is not acceptable for a Child of the Most High.

Seems to simple? Seek The Lord and He will guide you to freedom. There is so much power within our grasp. Just reach out.

What's your story?

Just heard a song with a catchy line that caught my attention. It says "What's your story about His Glory?" Maybe that is a good question to ask at Easter. Let me rephrase it with this one. For all Jesus did for us, what is our story about His Glory?

It reminded me of question that I heard some time ago. A Sunday School teacher of mine, John Wilson, asked this and to paraphrase his words: When your time on earth is complete, you will be asked 2 questions. One will be did you accept my Son as your Savior? The other will be: What did you do with Him during your life on earth?

Wow! I still remember where I was sitting in the room when he paused after asking those questions. Answer those first and then write out what your story is for His Glory.

My story for His glory would be very little about me, but a whole lot about Him. I would start with a list of words about who Jesus Christ is to me.

Savior, Redeemer, Rock, Friend, Father, Healer, Deliverer, Comforter, Prince of Peace, My Morning Song, the one who holds it all, my Joy, my inner voice, Wisdom, Grace, God of second chances, Mercy, and the list could go on and on.

So, that's my start. No two list will be the same. What's your story about His glory?

Attitude adjustment

My car had been out of alignment for a month or so. I put up with the pulling and tugging for long enough and finally took it in today to have it repaired. I had my husband drive it recently. He thought it was fine. I questioned someone else about alignment. Although everyone seemed to think my car was ok, I just knew something was not right.

I also realized yesterday in Sunday School that there was something else in my life that needed alignment: my attitude. The sad thing is that my attitude at work is pretty good, it is splendid on Sundays at church, and really ok out in public. The real place that I needed an adjustment was at home! What a pitiful thing to admit, nearly painful to type.

It dawned on me that I can read Jesus Calling with my children, pray for my husband and turn on positive, Christian music in the morning, but if my attitude at home is out of line very often, it can all be considered a loss! My children and even the true leader of my home, my hubby, all follow my lead in the area of attitude. I can say that I love them and let all of the right "Christian" things come out of my mouth, but if my attitude is negative, it all of the positive things I have spoken are erased.

Ouch! I had some successes today in the area of attitude. I put The Lord in charge of my day and asked Him to help me. That is usually all that it takes for a situation to turn around. Tomorrow will be a new day too!

Pray specifically for your attitude and be on guard for things that bring you down. Ask The Lord to lift you back up!

Psalm 40:1-3 says "I waited patiently for The Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my heart, a hymn of praise to our God. The reason He deals with me so patiently is so others will see and fear The Lord and put their trust in Him."

Thank goodness He is patient! If you know something is not right, don't wait for someone else to tell you that you need an alignment, ask The Lord to put you back in your right place! The ones we love the most are the ones most hurt when our attitudes are out of whack!

Sticking with the sticker

I was just merchandising some junk in my house and came across a cute t.v. tray that would look perfect in another room. It still had the price tag on it from Ross so I started the removal process of that!

I started on one corner. Not much luck. Moved over to another corner, not much luck and went on up to the top left corner. I ended up in less than a minute on the fourth corner and stopped to look at the sticker still stuck!

My sticker and the fact that I didn't stay with one corner long enough to make any progress is just like life when we don't stay with a task and finish it! Maybe the task is the removal of SIN in your life or conviction that some bitterness is building and needs to be dealt with. Whatever it is, stay with it. The Lord does not prick our hearts for no reason. That "gut feeling" today may be just what you need to follow.

I feel like the devil wants us to move from one thing, one activity to the other so fast that our minds are cluttered and we never really focus on and attend to the work of the Holy Spirit. Be encouraged today and stick with it if you know something in your life needs to be removed!

Philippians 1:3-6 reminds me that The Lord began a good work in me and that HE will complete it!