This was originally written a few days ago. Thanks for stopping in to read!😊

Have you ever had such a vacation so awesome that you cried when it was over? Not just because you had to go back to the daily grind of life. Well, I am sure that is a part of it, but the end of this vacation feels like coming off of a mountain top.
Eddy and I are on our way home from the KLOVE Fan Awards. The past few days have been a bit like living on the edge of heaven. We experienced worship like never before. The presence of God was palpable. The music, testimonies, and words of encouragement in which we have been immersed have given much water to our thirsty, tired souls.
As I step back into the “real world,” I face the reality and blessing that our daughter has moved to new city for a new job. Today is her first day. Why do I get nervous for her? God opened this door for her. He’s got this! I suppose it’s a mama thing. I miss her so.
On the other end of the spectrum is our 28 year old son, Ben, who has autism and is newly obsessed with purchasing “Thomas the Tank Engine” videos. Telling him this is not an age appropriate desire makes no difference. He persists in being locked in on obtaining them… We will deal with this for a while.
Can I just go back to the KLOVE bubble for a little longer? Wishful thinking… But praise God I have a heart and mind filled to the brim with His blessings from this time. Tomorrow we will return to work, Miriam will get more settled into her new job, and Ben will still want those videos. But most importantly, God will be with each of us as we walk through the days ahead.
We will draw on the richness of the music, the spirit of worship, and our undisturbed time of being in the presence of our sweet Heavenly Father. We will fight harder for that precious time in our everyday lives, and we will reflect on the view from the mountaintop, knowing that there is so, so much more to come as eternity awaits us.

“And those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” (Isaiah 35:10)

Be blessed…To God Be the glory!

As I watch the different artists leading in worship through song at the KLOVE Fan Awards, I am reminded what worship is all about…plainly, simply Jesus. It is not about listening to a performance, performing, or singing every note on key. It is about an expression of joy and praise and thanksgiving.
It’s about eyes closed, hands raised, tears, smiles of joy and even jumping up and down. It’s about individuals worshipping God in the way He leads them.
Worship is about entering into the place where Jesus is and abandoning yourself, your feelings, your heart to Him with your most excellent love and praise!
Let’s at all times and in all ways find opportunities to worship Him! He is so worthy of our utmost praise! To God Be The Glory! 🙌

For some reason this Spring, a bluebird couple in my back yard decided to leave the constraints of the official bluebird houses we have and take over the martin house that has been empty for two years. I was so hoping to be able to snap some photos of the babies as they emerged. As the parents began bringing worms and insects to feed their young, I knew the time was near.

Yesterday, I came home to see the two very anxious bluebird parents trying to guard one of the babies that had flown the coop. The baby was sitting on the fence receiving much instruction from its jabbering parents.  I grabbed my camera and headed out the back door. Much to my surprise the fledgling bird flew from the fence to the trunk of a nearby tree.  The parents, not happy about my presence, began to swoop down on me from above in full on protective mode.

The pictures you see were taken over the course of my observation as the baby half hopped and half flew to the lowest branches of the tree. At that point my attention was captured by the male bluebird who brought worms and insects to its young, not forsaking his parental duties.

How like our Heavenly Father this seemed.  He is always with us, caring for us. Whether we are  in the safety of the nest or out on a limb in trouble, He never deserts us.  He is always a simple prayer away.

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  (Deuteronomy 31:8)

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

Never forget that God, who is constantly aware of the birds of the air, cares so much more for you and me…enough to sacrifice His Only Son on a cross as payment for our sins to save us from eternal punishment. In Him we have the promise of eternity in Heaven. I pray the story of this bluebird family will serve as a reminder!  God is so good! To God Be the Glory!

As I sit at my kitchen table looking past the newly planted flowers on my patio to the bluebird on the fence to the hummingbird zipping by, I have just one comment. “Let heaven and nature sing” should not be sung only at Christmas. It sings even now as the wind causes the newly formed bright green leaves to dance and the ducks and geese float aimlessly about on the lake behind my house. How beautifully God conducts the song with crescendos of vibrant colors and the harmony of mockingbirds and frogs! (Got to have some bass going on!)

And what of us? Do we even stop to listen to the songs of praise earth is singing or take pause to consider and give thanks to the creator and conductor of the universe? The two verses from Psalms that follow clearly state that nature is taking every opportunity to praise God. But are we? Not just for the beauty we observe outside a window, but for God’s unconditional love, sacrifice and forgiveness…for the eternity He has prepared for us in Heaven.

“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.  Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. (Psalm 96:11-12)

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”  (Psalm 19:1)

During the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke his disciples as they “praised God joyfully with loud voices.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”  (Luke 19:37-40)

Surely we realize that our voices, our loudest, strongest voices declaring our Heavenly Father’s praise are needing to be heard in the world today.  There is a deafening commotion of hatred and sin and Satanic disharmony trying to drown us out. We need to cry out even more passionately in our praise and testimony. This is a job that cannot be left to the rocks as long as we have life and breath within us. And yet again, David reminds us in Psalms…

“Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being.”  (Psalm 148:5)

And there we have it! Folks, in light of all that has been done for us in Christ, this should be one of the easiest things we have on our “to do” list…give Him all the honor and glory and praise He deserves! So SING with heaven and nature your praises!  May the beauty of our voices drown out the off-key forces of evil and focus attention on our Heavenly Father! To God Be the Glory!

What is your interpretation of truth? Priscilla Shirer defines truth as God’s opinion on any matter. Truth is the first part of the Armor of God that is set in place. “Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…” (Ephesians 6:14)  However, truth today seems to vary based on how a person wants to justify his or her actions.

There are no unfailing principles by which the world operates anymore. Anything goes!  Praise God, He has given us truths to govern our lives by in His word, The Bible. There He guides us and gives us answers to life’s questions based on His will. Without truth, without an absolute non-negotiable standard to live by, there is no liberty. He desires for us to be grounded so deeply in His truths that we walk in freedom everyday of our lives.

Truth is not simply gathered on Sunday from a sermon or Sunday School class. Truth is discovered through spending time in God’s Word. Without knowledge of absolute truth, we are subject to making our own interpretations. We could mistakenly lean toward legalism as truth and always be wondering if we have “done enough” to deserve God’s love. Can you hear those chains rattling, binding us and robbing us of peace?

When you know truth, all things negative, hurtful, and untrue roll off your back because you know who the Bible says you are in Christ. You are a child of the King!  You can walk in victory, knowing that you are loved and forgiven despite Satan’s jabs to make you think otherwise. Decisions are more easily made when held to the light of truth. The answers you sometimes desperately seek are revealed as you read your Bible.

Our search for truth strengthens our relationship with God. There He reveals Himself to you, encourages you, and holds you when life is overwhelming. It is the most important use of time in your entire day.  Fight for that time. You will find peace when the world offer only chaos. “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life and enter through the gates into the city.” (Rev. 22:14) You will be blessed!  To God Be the Glory!

Though I am sure the analogy has been made countless times, I was reminded of its truth again upon hearing this song performed by Hawk Nelson. Investigation reveals that “in order for diamonds to form, a temperature of over 1000 degrees Celsius and very high pressure is required.”  Difficult to imagine that such a thing of beauty can be formed in these adverse circumstances. Research says that diamonds, which are formed in the depths of the earth, are brought close to the earth’s surface through deep volcanic eruptions.

The process which brings about a sparkly, shining diamond is a violent, difficult one. In comparison, God uses some of the most violent, difficult times in our lives, times we don’t think we can possibly survive, to make us into a beautiful object of His love. As Beth Moore says, “there is purification in persecution.”  That process of purification, the pressure, the darkness,  the extreme heat, are all elements that contribute to a divine shaping of us into the diamond He planned all along for us to be. Don’t fight this process in your life. Trust that God has a plan for you, a hope and a future.  The molding and shaping are often an uncomfortable process, but, OH, when He is finished with us how we will shine light into the darkness of this world for Him! To God Be the Glory!

I was in my shower this morning, reveling in the fact that it is FRIDAY and singing along with some KLOVE! (101.3) Then, one of my favorite songs came on…one that makes me happy and causes me to dance a little. The title is “Day One.” I’ve included it below. Isn’t is awesome knowing no matter what our yesterdays held in Christ today is the first day of the rest of our lives. His mercies are new every morning and don’t even get me started about how grace figures into all of this..unmerited, unending, never failing, bought by the blood of Christ GRACE! Hallelujah!

Now we have even more reason than the fact that it is Friday to celebrate! Enjoy the first day of the rest of your life. Jesus has got you by the hand. Be excited to see where He leads today! Your future has begun…DAY ONE!

I was just wondering about what we have ahead of us today. Will it be a “Mary” kind of day or more of a “Martha” day? If our heads are already spinning with “to do” lists and we are tired before we ever leave the house just thinking about the tasks ahead, then it will definitely be a “Martha” kind of day. Like Martha we will be “distracted by all the preparations that had(?)to be made” when Jesus came to her home. (Luke 10: 38-41)

It is understandable that “Mary” days are hard to experience. The pace of this world is so very hectic and the demands of life lurk around every corner until we believe that there is no other choice…that “Mary” days are just impossible. Satan is winning in perpetuating that lie! In Christ we have the power to decide the destiny of our day and how the 24 hours in it are spent.

Today, let’s make a firm decision to “choose what is better.” Let’s begin our day like Mary at the feet of Jesus. What better place to start than in His presence. Not only might we find our day going much smoother, but God is pleased with the sacrifice of our time and our longing for Him. You will be blessed!

The “Martha” tasks will still exist.” Ask Jesus’ help in ordering your day according to His plans. You may even find that some things on that list were not as urgent as you thought. He will guide you, and the day will hold more sane, peaceful moments. Blessings! To God Be the Glory!

It’s Saturday night. I am working on my Sunday School lesson and Eddy is across the house doing paperwork for his job. Just as I get all nestled into my chair, I hear our dog, Max barking in the middle of the house. I know exactly what he wants. He has not had his play time yet tonight, fetching his toy, and he is letting us know about it. That time is a part of his routine that cannot be skipped before we go to bed. In fact, he just entered the room I am in, and he is letting me know he is not pleased with the delay, squeaking his toy at me!

Sometimes I wish Jesus was like that, loudly reminding me He wants to have time with me…pray time, relationship time. Instead He waits patiently, quietly calling us into fellowship with Himself. He makes no demands, does not annoy us to get our attention. He is there anytime of the day or night, waiting and desiring our company.

Why do we even need a reminder after all that God has done for us? You would think we’d be rushing to Him daily in praise, but we get distracted and we can’t here His still small voice above the noise of the day. I want to challenge all of us, myself included, to stop neglecting something so precious to Jesus…our time, our fellowship, our conversations with Him. Put aside a part of each day to give Him your undivided attention. Make it part of your routine. Let’s see how your world and mine will change.

Off now to quiet Max from his non-stop whining at me. Be blessed. To God Be the Glory!

Each year I watch the Super Bowl, the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” are played out before my eyes as the last seconds tick off the clock. On the winning side of the field, high fives are being given, Gatorade is being dumped on the coach, and the players are ecstatic! Across the field quite the opposite is happening as players sit sadly on the emptying benches, heads down, tears sometimes falling. Joy on one side, misery on the other.

Reminds me of the fact that in Christ I am on the victorious side…Praise the Lord! I am chosen by God, adopted into His family, deeply loved, completely forgiven, complete in Him, a citizen of Heaven. I am a child of the light, I am sanctified and made righteous in Christ. These are only a few examples of who scripture says I am and you are as a member of God’s winning team.

There are days when it seems as though we are on the opposite side of the field feeling beat down, defeated and on the bench all alone. Well, the only one happy about that is Satan because he is feeling victorious. Christian, lift your head and look across the field where you belong. Remember who you are in Christ. Don’t believe Satan’s lies. Get up off that bench, wipe your tears and walk toward Jesus, toward joy, toward who you are in Christ..Victorious!! Join the celebration!

“No, in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

And today if you see someone on the bench alone, unaware of the victory they can have in Christ, make an effort to walk across the field, help them up, and share with them the life Christ offers. Have a blessed day basking in the light of His love and all that you are in Him. God is so good, isn’t He! Give him your praise and thanksgiving today! Blessings!