From a Mother’s Heart

DAY 30 (Read Day 1 “OK, Honey. Challenge Accepted!”)

Lying in the bed, resting as best as one can in a hospital, I was awakened to the beautiful sound of your cry. 30 minutes of failed attempts by your father and the nurse to calm you led them to lay you back in your little bed. Fed, changed and no signs of discomfort left them puzzled as to what to try next.

“Let me have him,” I said.

Your dad carefully lifted you from the crib and placed your head against my chest as I cradled you close. Not even a second more passed and you were silent. The connection was obvious and from that moment, I knew my responsibility was big.

What has transpired over the last 19 years is nothing short of a thrill ride on steroids.

As a mom, I was to raise you to be independent and strong, yet I cried with each crossroad displaying my success. I gave you wings to fly yet secretly hoped they would boomerang you back to my arms at times. Quite the psychotic endeavor.

As you boldly venture into the life of adulthood, please, take these words of hope and aspirations with you and hold them close because the world won’t teach them to you.

Don’t wait for growth to happen…seek it, in spiritual and emotional well being.

Don’t wait for respect to be handed, earn it.

Work harder than you feel necessary, love deeper than you deem capable and remember the only reason you’re placed on this earth is to care for people. It’s through your gifts and talents that you are to do that.

Cast out the sense of entitlement so many youth these days carry and learn that you will reap what you sow.

The measure of a man’s success is not in the accomplishments and achievement he obtains, but in the quality of his character development as he journeys to get there.

Never complain about the things you can’t do but adapt your agenda to the things that you can.

Open your eyes to the ways of Christ so that you can combat and battle the ways of the world. Make Him your ultimate role model to measure every action against.

Don’t be content with the entertainment of the world instead choose to create with the gifts that God is giving you.

Never ask what can I get but instead question what should I give

As important as good grades are, if you fail in character, you fail in life.

Waiting on God is the hardest and most rewarding act of obedience you can practice.

Surround yourself with Godly men who will help hold you accountable and challenge you to grow in your faith because the enemy thrives in an isolated heart but dies where his lies and deceit are exposed.

Above all else, love first, love last and every moment in between.

So be bold and confident in the foundation of your faith in Jesus because it is the only constant truth that will remain through all the changes and challenges of your life.

When you first started to walk, I would loosen my grip, back away and have you walk to me. Now, as I loosen my grip it’s time for you to start walking away. I pray you walk into the arms of Christ, because without Him, it’s all for nothing.

Correction Brings Life!

DAY 22 and 23 (Read Day 1 “OK, Honey. Challenge Accepted!” Post)

A prideful despising of correction leads to justification of our behavior. Justification leads to denial of poisonous character defects which leads to contamination of the heart, ending in death and destruction.

A little confession can go a long way!

To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. (Proverbs 12:1 NLT)

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18 NLT)

Wonderfully Made!

DAY 20 (Read Day 1 “OK, Honey. Challenge Accepted!” Post)

Easel upright, He places a canvas of white, eager to design his colorful masterpiece. Hand poised, brush slanted, brilliant strokes emerge with beauty beyond imagination depicting reflection of His own strengths and character. Unlike most creators, a power is held to animate his creation with a breath, and so He does.
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Change Me!

DAY 18 (Read Day 1 “OK, Honey. Challenge Accepted!” Post)

When God doesn’t change troublesome circumstances surrounding my life, I must assume His desire is to transform me.

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Seeker Friendly Tight Rope!

DAY 15 (Read Day 1 “OK, Honey. Challenge Accepted!” Post)

Upon entrance, hands reach out to greet them, offer announcements on paper and they bee-line to find a seat. Not to far forward, leaving chance for a quick escape and not in close proximity to strangers, after all it’s church, they might bite.

It’s for these visiting species that churches have created “seeker friendly” services. Services with no greeting time, way too awkward, performances rather than worship because, well, they don’t know the songs. Play music loudly, use words that aren’t overly spiritual and by no means should anyone look around while during prayer.

It’s the latter that I ponder.

Inspiring message stirs an unbelievers heart, music of God’s love penetrates the rough, doubting exterior, heart pounds, palms sweat and a desire rises in them to make a decision for Christ, alone.

All of heaven is poised to celebrate… yet the touchable, present and “in the flesh” believers that surround them are asked to pray with bowed heads and closed eyes. Hmmm…

Don’t Christ followers miss the opportunity to discover the newest members of their faith family all because we wouldn’t want them to feel weird?

Doesn’t that teach them from the very beginning, right out of the gates that take them from bondage of sin to freedom in Christ, to be “timid in spirit” and hide their faith?

I get that we don’t want to go all crazy and scare people off, but people come to church with knowledge that God is there, shouldn’t they experience Him in the fullness of His design, not ours?

Not a statement, just a ruminating question.

When Reality Crushes Expectations!

DAY 10 (Read Day 1 “OK, Honey. Challenge Accepted!” Post)

Somedays, expectations are shattered by circumstances and somedays they are trampled under the feet of someone we love. The latter seems to be the toughest to take, at least for me.

Actions don’t Always Reflect the Heart

DAY 4 (Read Day 1 “OK, Honey. Challenge Accepted!” Post)

Claws extend
a swing and your hit
daggers launched by tongue
declaring words painful as boulders
crushing, weighing on you
denial of inner-reflection because
it’s easier to spew accusations instead

They push away
they run away
hate spills, eyes spray fire
you, their target but aim
at their own reflection
they scream, yell, not at you
at the anguish inside
cold shoulder says leave
tormented heart begs you stay
wounds, scars, insecurities
need love unconditional proven

It seems a fight they seek
or even an end, but unspoken
is the plea to prove
they are worth fighting for
justifying behavior if you give up

I identify with attacker and prey
burdensome is both giving and accepting fervor

Battle ready
They boast lies
hold on to Truth
they want out
dig in your heels
they rage
hear only the still small voice
love so deep, when they shred you
your roots remain grounded
when ready
love will be reciprocated

Until then, fight

I’m a Hypocrite!

DAY 2 (Read Day 1 “OK, Honey. Challenge Accepted!” Post)

Not even a sunset passes before occasion to implement that which I teach is staged before me.

“Your passions, those characteristics and talents that God has gifted you with need exercise, need nurturing, need practice and the only way to do that is by actively doing hard things.”

The girls listened, nodded their heads and even responded with ideas of how their young teen lives could be productive and prepatory for what God has for them in the future. We closed our journals and I prayed for them to find ways to employ what they learned.

The Other side of the Bridge!

Courageous, to say the least, was this transformative expression of devotion. A momentous parade of lives crossed over from death to life, from dark to light, from heaviness of lies to freedom of truth. Slowly and methodically, each person crossed over the wooden bridge that spanned the stage to fearlessly declare that they are letting go and letting God. Easter’s story of sacrifice and resurrection was spoken, for some a carbon copy as told last time, for others a fantastically timed revelation of their buried or even denied need for a savior.

The last few minutes of this portrayal of renewal and rebirth signifies a new beginning, a healed heart, a refreshed soul. (Click on link below to experience it yourself.)

Mine was not a physical bridge, nor was it a public demonstration. I sat on my unkempt bed on the lower level of the wooden bunk. The soul altering message given by the camp speaker penetrated deeply as phrases of truth lingered in my mind. Awakened and now aware of the black hole in my spirit, a decision needed to be made. Sin and shame are hard to release but I now knew that they weren’t mine to carry. They were His.

What seemed endless at the time was a flood of emotions that escaped the prison I had made. Yet, it was not in my control. Overtaken, overwhelmed I was as the Spirit infiltrated my being. Guilt, grief, deceit and all other impurity within, drained from my soul. A vision of ungodly residue being removed as I “crossed the bridge” from death to life. High on the Spirit, nothing could weigh me down.

Then life happened. As it often has a tendency to do, it knocked me off my mountain top and sent me tumbling to a valley of shadows and death. It wasn’t real, lacked genuineness or worst yet it left me were thoughts I contemplated. I had left camp, determined to prevail, adamant to remain in His presence so how could I now, feel so…lost, defeated.

Naivety? Foolishness? Stubborn independence? Doesn’t matter, the fact is I was unprepared for what was on the other side. I assumed my walk of faith led me to a destination rather than beginning of a whole new journey. One that needs daily guidance and direction. A pilgrimage full of unseen obstacles and attacks accompany the joy and freedom. After all, a “troll” did everything he could to keep us from crossing the bridge and he doesn’t give up when we make it to the other side. There is a map, weapons, a compass that keeps us on the path to holiness. Wisdom, encouragement and truth from His word uncovers what we need to weather the storms as we drudge forward, find confidence in Christ and wholeheartedly understand that we are never alone.

Heaven is dancing for all who have crossed the bridge. Now lets do everything we can to continue moving forward and grow in knowledge and faith of Jesus Christ until the journey is complete.

Dreary Rain? Matter of perspective!

Yes, at first it was, disappointing at worst and hair frizzing at best. If it were Texas rain, warm to the touch, like a steamy shower on a winter day, kind of downpour, I would dance in it. Drench myself under the pounding drops and be soaked to the bone in it. Not a chance in this cold rain. This is the rain that beckons me to stay inside, re-cover myself in down feathers in my unmade bed and wait.

Journey of Emotions!

A few thoughts and feelings from the Life of a Nobody hoping to touch somebody!

Image of Christ