Last week Spring arrived in Huntsville in full glory. Though many flowers and trees in the valley had already bloomed, the trees on the mountain still looked brown and barren. On Monday, I could see spots of green popping up on my morning walks with Max. Each day, more and more trees leafed out, and on Friday the mountainside was completely garbed in varying shades of green. It is beautiful!

The shrubbery around our apartment complex also caught my attention. Literally, from one morning to the next the existing plants were topped off with bright green, new growth which stands out  in stark contrast to the leaves that had weathered winter.

The fresh, newness of each day reminded me of this verse:

Lamentations 3:22-23  (ESV)  “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

How awesome! We are blessed to begin every day with a clean slate in the eyes of God. What happened yesterday did not, does not change His steadfast love for us. Why? If we have confessed the sins of yesterday, God has no memory of them. His love is unconditional and faithful. Praise the Lord!

Enjoy the beauty of Spring around you. As rains soak the ground to nurture all of this new life, allow the living water of God’s word to promote growth and beauty in yours. Greet the dawn of tomorrow with arms wide open to receive His mercies for the day. Smile! Then go tell somebody about our good, good Father. To God Be the Glory!

When Jesus sent out His disciples in Matthew, Chapter 10, He had very specific instructions, warnings and words of wisdom. The disciples were given “authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” (vs. 1) I feel sure that sounded pretty awesome. However, they were also informed in vs. 17 and 18 about imprisonment and floggings. Jesus said in vs 16, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” Not sounding quite so awesome…right?! Let’s dig a bit deeper into the chapter.

As a child I remember being particularly disturbed by vs. 37-38 which says, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more that me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”  At seven years old my dad did his best to explain this to me.  I wanted to be worthy of Jesus, but I loved my family so much.  How could I ever choose one over the other?

This verse is definitely one that requires more Christian maturity and understanding than the mind of a seven-year old. Yet years later at 57, I ask myself would I decidedly choose Jesus over my family, my friendships, my own life ?  In truth, we want to believe these are choices we would never have to make, but  this scripture is quite clear. Current events bear truth to this as we witness people choose Jesus, standing firm in their faith, and losing life on earth to gain eternity in Heaven. It can and does happen.

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father in Heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will also disown before my Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

When my devotional time led me to this scripture, I was reminded of the cost of following Christ. I was reminded I need to live my life more intentionally, sending down deep roots in my relationship with Him because we never know what tomorrow will bring. Not that we are to worry, but we should be prepared to stand for our Lord, making Him and His will for our lives  first choice.

People need to see the light of Jesus shining through us no matter what the cost. Untangle yourself from anything forcing Jesus off the throne of your life. Seek first The One who is most important, not the things, the people and approval this world offers instead. Your family members are dear to your heart, but you minister to them the best when you are led by God to bear witness to them.

Please take time to read the entirety of Matthew 10 to hear more of Jesus’ words to the disciples. Take note, be encouraged, live with purpose. Walk in grace, in trust and in faith, knowing Jesus will never leave your side. This world needs disciples. WE are those disciples, and two thousand years later, this scripture holds true for us. Prepare a way for The Lord! To God Be the Glory!

God’s timing is always perfect. He knows the best and the worst of what we are going through each day, even when it concerns a beloved pet. He knows about the specials things we love that minister to our souls when life is going crazy bad. God often scatters these special comforts along the way to remind us of His presence and never-failing love. Yesterday, He did that again for me, and I call them God winks.

We received word yesterday that our dog, Max, has cancer. Now I know he is just a dog, but he is a very special little fellow given to me at a time of great loneliness.  He has provided countless daily smiles, made us laugh and love, and been a friend when I felt like I had none. He has been our empty nest child who chewed up my Crocs as a puppy… only the left shoe of several pairs mind you. Perhaps he was attempting to save me from a fashion faux pas. My daughter certainly thought so!

As my tears fell, Max decided he wanted to go outside. Just four steps into the grass was this beautiful Tiger Swallowtail butterfly seemingly stuck to the ground. I rushed back inside to get my camera praying it would be there when I returned. I am a lover of all butterflies and I wanted to document this perfectly timed God wink. I wanted you to witness first hand His faithfulness.

I have never seem a butterfly shiver, but this one was. I am sure it was must have wondered why its presence was required on such a cold day certainly too early in the season for butterflies to be out and about. It sat completely stationary (except for the shivering) for a series of seven photos before flying away.

Only God could have arranged that moment… the moment when Max needed to go outside, the direction he walked, and the sighting of this butterfly just minutes before it flew away. This was not a coincidence. It was a moment of comfort, a gift from God and a reminder of His presence through this time. I was praising through the tears and the photo shoot.  It’s a wonder any of the pictures were correctly focused!

God does these things for you, too.  Purposefully look for him in your every day moments, through the good and the bad.  He’s there for you with your own specially tailored God winks!  When you see them, praise God for His steadfast love and presence. What a comforter! What a wonderful Father we have! To God Be the Glory!

(Search God Winks on the home page to read of other moments like this!)

I want to share with you a story that has been unfolding in our lives. Four of the past seven months God has provided refuge under his wings during two times of unemployment for Eddy. A job loss for Eddy in Grenada set this all in motion. Without any doubt, after two jobless months and much prayer, we strongly felt led by God to move to Huntsville, Alabama for a job opportunity .  However, almost three months after the move, Eddy discovered the job was not as presented and its demands robbed him of all joy and peace. 

God gave him the strength and faith to resign, knowing this decision was best for him and our family. This was a huge step of faith with no job in sight in a town where we knew almost no one. Still we were confident God hand was in all of this. He had not brought us this far to desert us. Knowing He is faithful, we huddled under His wings for shelter, praying for His guidance.

“He will cover you with His feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be a protective shield.”  (Psalm 91:4)

After two months of prayers and interviews, Eddy began his new job this week! I wish I could tell you our faith was rock solid every day of the two months Eddy was without employment in Huntsville. Daily I could feel God’s grace. The verse we were both given was Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” During my daily time with God, the word “rest” presented itself over and over. We did our best to do that. Rest was greatly needed after the physical move. We were beyond exhausted. God was aware that. 

Naturally there were days of doubt. Were we sure God had told us to move? We wondered what in the world we were doing in Huntsville, Alabama! Should we run back to Mississippi and the comfort of familiarity? During those days, God pulled us closer under His wings and reminded us He had a plan, a good plan!  (Jer. 29:11)  He reminded us of the doors He had opened for us to be right where we were. Peace would return.

This week, Eddy and I are peeking through the feathers of the Almighty’s wings, singing praises for a new job with confidence we are in God’s will! His provision and faithfulness during these months are now a part of our testimony…a testimony I wanted to share with you. What He has done for us He will do for you! Let Him be your help…the source of a new song in your heart. We serve a mighty God! To God Be the Glory!

(God is so good! He knows my love for bluebirds. Look what he brought to my window during all of this… another one of those God-winks!)

Surely it’s not Monday already! Where did the weekend go? Weekends always seem to fly by while the weeks drag on. You know the routine. On Mondays, your kids are more resistant to the idea of getting up and going to school…at least mine were! I remember Ben on several occasions chasing me down the driveway in his underwear because he refused to get ready and I had to get Miriam to school on time. Toss to Eddy for back-up!

The excitement of Friday becomes the reality of the grind on Monday when facing a week of work and the million other things you have on your calendar.  Once you leave work, you hop in your car to chauffeur your children to after school activities, cook supper, and help out with homework.  Sometimes you wake up daunted before your feet ever hit the floor, head spinning.

Without purposeful planning, time with Jesus sometimes gets lost in the frenzy that begins our days. What a comfort to know that we can still cry out to him for help when the morning  devotionals go unread and extended prayer times are out of the question until the house quiets down at night. All we have to do is whisper, speak or scream out the name of JESUS!

He knows your needs, He loves you and He is always at your side ready to help with whatever the moment or the day brings.  You better believe I was saying (possibly screaming) “Jesus” when Ben was running down the driveway half-naked!

The Bible says in 1 Chronicles 16:11, “Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.”

1 Thessalonians states, ” Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Giving thanks in all circumstances becomes easier with practice.  (Even in the driveway underwear moments!) So if we break it down, this can become our game plan for the day.  As the song says, “When you don’t know what to say…just say Jesus.” Then praise Him in advance for His response to your need. God loves to hear the praises of His people and your praise exhibits faith in His ability to minister to you in the moment.

I am including a 6×4 printable for you to download and place where you can see it during the day. Click on Freebies to find that. And perhaps this song will ring out in your mind when you need a little reminder.  Have a great Monday and a great week! To God Be the Glory!

In each of our lives we experience storms…some more devastating than others…all opportunities to grow our faith if we allow Jesus to guide us through them. What Satan wishes we would do instead is lose all hope. Hopelessness can become like quicksand. When I watched Tarzan, the black and white version, I  became terrified that one day I might fall into quicksand. (That happened quite often in the Tarzan’s jungle neighborhood!)

And what happens when you are in quicksand? The harder you wiggle and squirm to get out on your own, the deeper you sink! Hopelessness feels like that and let me tell you straight up Satan is not going to throw you the life saving rope. Jesus will! And He won’t let go. He will be your Savior, your shelter through the storm, your healer from the pain, and the restorer of your soul…of your HOPE!

The words of the song below beautifully describe that God-given hope, no matter what the circumstances.  Friend, keep your eyes on Him and once again live in the hope that is yours for the asking. You can also find a free printable with encouraging  words from this song on the Freebies page. To God Be The Glory!

I don’t know who should receive credit for the words below. I saved this at some point because it was full of wisdom. Then, I decided to post it one year ago on Facebook and today it popped us as a memory.  We have experienced some difficult times of late and yesterday we got some unexpected bad news added to the mix. You know that feeling…straw that broke the camel’s back kind of thing with the ugly cry to boot. 

It has to be a “God thing” that this post from the past appeared before me to read once again this very morning. In the words were the perspective I needed to get my mind and emotions back on track.  Isn’t God good…even when He kicks you in the pants with your own post!  I think He wants me to share this with you today, too.  Maybe it will speak to the heart of someone in a special way and restore an attitude of praise despite any situations at hand.  To God Be the Glory!

“This is one of the secrets of the most successful people in the world. They know how to draw encouragement and strength from the inside. They do it by replaying in their minds the victories that they have had in the past. They rehearse over and over the good things that have happened to them. They also live in an attitude of thanksgiving.
Whenever you’re in difficult times and are tempted to get down, don’t dwell on the negative. Don’t replay over and over all the reasons why it won’t work out, and how impossible it is. Instead change the channel. Get the remote control. That’s not the only channel. Start replaying all the good things that have happened in your life.
Every one of us has had victories in our lives. A key to encouraging ourselves is to replay those victories. As you remember the great things that have happened to you, faith will fill your heart, strength and courage will come from the inside.
No matter what you’re facing and no matter how difficult it looks, you’ll know deep down that God didn’t bring you this far to leave you where you are. If He did it for you in the past, He’ll do it again for you in the future.
Replay the miracles in your mind. You cannot stay down and defeated as long as you’re thinking about the good things that have happened in your life.
Feel free to share this if you got value and you wanna help someone else.”

Forgiven 8×10 Free Print :: Click Here  or Click on “Freebies” at top of Home Page

I love to pin Printables on Pinterest, print them out, frame them and use them to decorate my home seasonally for pennies! You may have noticed that I already have several free printables under “Freebies” on my website. I had someone else create the others for me, set up the “Freebie page,” and post them there because I didn’t have a clue how to do it. (Thank you Kaitlyn Bouchillon!)

This printable, however basic and novice it appears, it special because I worked hard to figure out all the elements needed to do this on my own.  After many hours of research, failure, work and prayer, I finally came up with a finished product. I was literally screaming with it excitement (sorry neighbors!) when the print was finally placed on the “Freebie”page. That in itself was a challenge between links and URL mumbo jumbo!

However, I have learned so much including that you can teach an old dog new tricks! Now I want to encourage you to do the same.  If there is something you have wanted to do or try, get after it.  It may take time and work, but I promise you the joy that comes with the finished product or accomplished goal is worth it.  If you don’t know where to start or if you get stuck and frustrated along the way as I did, no prayer is too small. Ask Jesus to open your mind for the understanding you need. I am here to say He will do it!

Step out, be brave and go for it! I am rooting for you! To God Be the Glory!

(You will have to trim this page down it to fit into an 8×10 frame.)

Hello, All! Here’s the song I promised. This song by David Crowder was going through my mind when I wrote the last post “Don’t Look Back.” It is one of my new favorites! Enjoy and God Bless! Rest in knowing that if you know Christ  you are “Forgiven.”

*Check in tomorrow for a new Free Print to Download! It will be under FREEBIES on the Home page. 🙂

On occasion, the storefront of an antique shop draws me in to browse even though I am not a collector. The visit is often like a walk down memory lane bringing fond memories to mind. However, the contents remind me that I am old enough to have once owned or used things now classified as antiques. Yikes!   

In this shop, I spotted the blonde Chatty Cathy my sister, Cindy, had  in the original box. Antique store Cathy was in mint condition, unlike Cindy’s, which was practically bald for most of its useable years. I had to laugh as I thought of how hers looked and how I had to hide my brunette version to keep it from being scalped!

Next, there was the old metal Igloo cooler which provided many cups of cold water consumed at my grandparents pre-Civil War home during the hot summer months where my siblings and I would fight to get in front of the box fan to cool down.

Finally, on a crowded shelf I spotted a mushroom canister set exactly like Eddy and I had received as a wedding gift almost 36 years ago. I will never forget crying my eyes out when I broke one of the canisters not long after receiving the set. Nor will I forget how my sweet husband calmed me down and glued every piece back into place.

I could lie and say “those were the good old days,” but they weren’t necessarily. My parents divorced during the Chatty Cathy era and life as broke newlyweds was definitely a challenge far beyond a broken canister. The answer lies in what you choose to focus on… the  good times or the bad.

And so it is in our walk as Christians. I believe and know from my experience that Satan loves to take us for walks down “not so good” memory lane to revisit our failures and past sins. The way is dark and the emotions elicited are guilt, shame, and unworthiness. Satan, the great deceiver, the author of confusion has an agenda. He wants us to believe there is no way with these sins looming in our past that God could truly love and accept us.

I believe even the strongest of Christians fall under these Satanic attacks.  At our weakest moment Satan will pound us with reminders of our past sins and, if we are not armored up (Eph. 6), we may fall prey to his scheme. We will forget that God has clothed us in the righteousness of Christ. (Rom. 3:24, 2 Cor. 5:21) We will forget He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12) We will allow what God has forgiven and forgotten to cause distance in our relationship with Him.

Herein lies the answer whether you are a child of God or someone seeking the love, peace and forgiveness found in Christ.

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:12-14)

Press on toward the call of Jesus. Rebuke Satan and his minions as they attempt to lure you from your walk with Christ into some ditch to watch black and white movies of your forgiven, forgotten past! Say yes to the promises of Christ for your life. Seek His assurance and strength in the life-giving words of the Bible. Set your mind on the hope and future He has for you! To God Be the Glory!

Stop by tomorrow for a song that drives this all the way home. Thanks for reading!