Happy 2024!

Happy 2024!

I know many of you have already headed back to school.

We are going back this morning.

I wanted to pass along a little encouragement and a prayer using 1 Corinthians 15:58 to help us refocus as we go back. 

God, help us to celebrate the ministry that You have called us to. Help us to celebrate victories large and small. Help us to celebrate the fact that You choose to use us in Your work. Give us the energy and perseverance to work unto You, setting an example of Your faithfulness to our students and co-laborers in the ministry. May we be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of this ministry, knowing that in the Lord our labor is not in vain. Amen!

Prayers for everyone heading back into classrooms this year!

Pirate Ponderings: CHOSEN

Every year our admin chooses a word or phrase

that she feels God is giving her for our staff.

I love our word this year :)

CHOSEN

CHOSEN "for such a time as this"

CHOSEN for this time,

CHOSEN for these kids,

CHOSEN for this generation,

CHOSEN for this place

CHOSEN to proclaim HIS excellencies.

I am in awe of the fact that I am chosen by God.

I know me,

so to know that HE chose me for ANYTHING is humbling.

And then to think of what HE chose

in order for me to be chosen.

HE chose to leave heaven,

HE chose to become a baby, born in a stable,

raised in poverty and oppression,

HE chose to buck the system in order to speak truth,

HE chose beatings and humiliation,

HE chose the cross,

HE chose death and the grave.

And yes, praise God for HIS resurrection, but

let's not skip over all the stuff that came before that.

HE chose a lot of hurt and suffering.

Knowing it would happen, 

HE chose to do it anyway, for me and for you.

HE chose all of it so that we could choose.

We can choose to reject HIM or

we can choose

to believe in HIM

to love HIM

to follow HIM

to worship HIM

to serve HIM.

We all get to choose what we will do with HIM.

I'm praying that our response will be

Colossians 3:12-17 (ESV)

12) Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, 13) bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. 14) And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15) And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17) And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

HE calls us CHOSEN, HOLY AND BELOVED :)

and then we are given some instructions for how we should live in light of what HE has done for us.

When we walk into our schools and meet with students, we all get to choose how we will treat them (and each other).

I'm praying that this school year, for our students, our families, our schools and ourselves, we will all choose to 

 be hopeful

be kind

be humble

be patient

be encouraged and encouraging

be compassionate 

be comforted and comforting

be worshipful

be joyful

be committed

be thankful.

I'm praying that we all stay faithful to our calling and that everything we choose this year will be honoring to HIM.

Names of God: King of Kings

Do you ever spend time worrying about who is in charge?

Maybe you support your current leaders and maybe you don't.

Or maybe it's your boss that you struggle with.

Some of us just simply have a problem with any authority,

no matter who it is. We just don't like being told what to do.

Why is that?

One reason might be because we don't trust that person. 

Maybe we are unsure if they have our best interest at heart. 

It's true that there are many people in places of authority who are only looking out for themselves and their own interests. When that happens it makes it hard for us to trust people. So we live guarded, on the defense, looking over our shoulders, waiting for the shoe to drop.

If we're not careful, we will start to equate God with people. Because we live guarded against people, we start to live guarded against God. Because we don't trust people, we don't trust God. Because people let us down, we assume that God will also let us down. 

I am sooooo thankful that God is not like people.

God made us and HE loves us.

God is for us and not against us.

Everything HE does is certainly for HIS glory,

but it's also for our good.

I know that even when I can't see it,

HE always has my best interest at heart.

Not only that,

those other authority figures that I don't always trust....

they never have the final say in my life.

Why?

Because Jesus is King.

And not just King, but KING OF KINGS.

That title tells us that there is NO higher authority.

HE is over all.

HIS reign over ALL things is absolute!

HE will have the final say on earth and in our lives.

I pray that we all know HIM as 

KING OF KINGS 

and know that we can safely trust HIM

 with every part of our lives.

Names of God: Light of the World

Anyone else scared of the dark?

My hand is held high!

I am sooooo afraid of the dark.

I do not sleep without a nightlight on.

I have candles and matches everywhere in the house.

I carry a flashlight with me in the car.

I do whatever it takes to try to make sure that I am never

left in the dark with no way to get to light.

Lately it seems as if the world has gone dark.

Maybe it has always felt that way to

 people of every generation.

I just know that it seems that almost

 everywhere we look today

we see darkness,

hurts, hatred, sickness,

even the seemingly small snide comments 

on social media that are just not kind.

It sometimes feels like the darkness is just too much.

And it seems that there is no way to get to light.

Sometimes it all feels paralyzing.

Not only do we find ourselves in the dark but a pitfall for most of us is choosing to continue to sit in it. We sit in the dark and complain about why it is so dark. I am not saying that there aren't times when we need to sit with wise council and discuss situations. I am saying that it does NO good to sit in the darkness and simply complain about it. Complaining in the dark only adds to the darkness. 

So what do we do when it feels like it's all closing in?

What do we do when we know we need light

or find ourselves in situations where we should

 be the one bringing the light?

JESUS

Jesus is always the answer.

In John 8:12 Jesus says,

"I AM the light of the world."

Jesus is and has all that we will ever need

and usually in the dark, it's a need for comfort or direction.

Jesus is the One who brings us complete comfort.

HE is the One who totally heals our hurts and sickness.

HE is the One who eases the sting of unkindness.

HE is the One who knows the way we should go.

In order to get out of the darkness, 

we HAVE to keep our eyes on HIM,

we have to stop trusting in the things of this world

(from nightlights to governments)

to provide that which only HE can give us.

We also must keep our eyes on HIM

so that when it's needed we can lead others to the light.

We can't lead others to the light when we are not pointing them in the right direction or simply sitting in the dark ourselves.

So we keep our eyes on HIM.

HE gives us HIS light,

HIS comfort and HIS direction.

And as HE does that, we are then able to take HIS light into the darkness that is around us.

It may not be an instant beacon or a raging fire,

maybe it's one small flame,

one tiny spark.

one kind word,

one small act of grace or mercy.

But let's not forget that ANY light 

will begin to drive away darkness.

So let's take baby steps, 

eyes on HIM,

get up and turn on the light!

Names of God: LORD

Anyone else out there who can't stand being told what to do?

Just me???

Total confession...

even when someone tells me to do something

and I totally agree with them....

I still don't like that someone else told me to do it :(

I know, it's a struggle.

Do we also struggle over this with God?

Our name for this week is LORD.

LORD is a rendering of Adoni,

which is a title that emphasizes HIS Lordship.

It's a title given to someone with authority, control,

power over others, master, ruler.....

(anyone getting uncomfortable?)

Back in the day,

it was a title of respect.

But it turned into a declaration of Jesus' deity.

It became a confession that Jesus Christ is God.

And this confession is THE way to salvation.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord

 and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,

 you will be saved.

Romans 10:9

If we choose to make this declaration,

then that makes HIM LORD.

It makes HIM the boss of us :)

If we confess "Jesus is LORD"

then we commit ourselves to obey HIM.

If HE is our LORD,

then HE owns us and has the right to tell us what to do.

How are we doing with this?

Many of us confess that HE is LORD,

but how are we doing when HE gives us a command?

When HE tells us to do something that we don't want to do?

When HE tells us to walk away from that high paying job?

When HE tells us to stick it out with a certain relationship?

When it's something good, yet we don't want to do it just because someone told us to do it?

I like to think that I am much better at obeying God 

than I am at obeying man but

it is something that I talk to HIM about a lot.

I'm sure there are many times when I miss the mark,

when I pause too long,

when I talk to HIM about it for too long

(all of which is disobedience).

I am so thankful for grace and mercy

and for HIS remembering that I am flesh.

I am so thankful for HIS patience with me.

I am thankful that HE keeps working on me,

that HE keeps using me and that HE doesn't give up on me as I am learning to be obedient.

And we know that one day every knee will bow....

I want to do it now, 

willingly.

Names of God: Comforter

What's your comfort zone?

a cup of coffee, a blanket and a fire?

porch sitting?

food?

time with your spouse/people?

(Yes, those are my answers.)

When we seriously need to be comforted,

where do we go?

Who do we go to?

I know I am guilty of many times going to the

wrong thing or the wrong person.

When I do that, I always come away feeling

the opposite of comfort.

I feel empty or even worse, I feel rejected.

No matter who or what we go to just

does not have the capacity or ability to truly comfort us.

A cheeseburger will never understand how I feel.

And even as amazing as my spouse is at this very thing,

he is still not my source for complete comfort.

The truth is,

no one and nothing can satisfy like Jesus.

Outside of HIM, we will never get what we really need.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says that 

our God is the God of ALL comfort and

that HE comforts us in ALL of our afflictions.

That tells me that no matter what I'm going through,

HE has the comfort that I need.

I just need to turn to HIM.

What could top comfort from the ONE who made us,

who knows us totally?

HE knows our heartaches and troubles,

HE offers no condemnation

(even when we've brought some of these

troubles on ourselves),

and HE alone knows what we need.

The Word says that we ARE going to share in HIS sufferings.

We all have hard things in our lives.

But we also have a GOD who doesn't leave us there.

HE chooses to bring comfort.

We have to choose to allow HIM to.

And that's not all.....

 after HE brings comfort to us

HE then uses us to comfort others.

We are able to give God's comfort to others!

What a privilege!!

Have you been comforted by others?

Maybe someone reached out to pray with you,

brought you flowers,

sent a text or called you.

How did it make you feel?

Have you passed that on to anyone else?

Will we be able to bring about their ultimate comfort? no

but we can point them to the ONE who can :)

Look around today,

see who could use some of God's comfort,

and let's allow HIM to use us to do just that.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Names of God: The Good Shepherd

There has been a lot of name calling on social media lately (most grown ups don't say it to anyone's face). The one that hits me is "sheep" or "sheeple".  People are using the name "sheep" to refer to those they believe are blindly following a certain political party or a representative of a certain party. 

I get what they are saying when they use the term sheep. 

But it hits wrong with me because Scripture says 

we are like sheep.

The question for me is not

 "Are we sheep?"

 but "Who is our shepherd?"

 Is it our government? a certain political leader? 

man made laws and rules? scientists? 

or maybe ourselves (refusing to be mastered)?

But Jesus says that HE is the "Good Shepherd" so that means that we should want to be sheep. Not sheep following just any shepherd. But sheep who follow HIM. HE protects, nurtures, and guides HIS flock. HE knows the way we should go, HE knows and wants what is best for us. 

Why would we not follow?

God is not just a hired keeper of the sheep,

someone who would flee and abandon us 

at the first sign of trouble,

 HE is the Good Shepherd who laid down HIS life for HIS sheep, for us!

Why would we not follow?

Whether we admit it or not, we are helpless and defenseless

 without our Shepherd. Things come up in our lives 

that we cannot defend against. 

Why would we not follow?

So, am I a sheep? Yup!

But my Shepherd is not a man,

a political party,

a politician or a boss......

My Shepherd is the Good Shepherd,

who loves me and wants what is best for me.

I gladly follow blindly.

Who is your shepherd?

Names of God: Immanuel

This week at our school, we finished off 6 Christmas performances. While each grade level did something slightly different, they were all telling the same story. 

So between rehearsals and watching each group perform, it may seem that we have the Christmas Story on autopilot. 

How many times over the years have we all

 heard the Christmas Story?

I'm wondering if we have allowed it to become routine.

Have we allowed it to become just a cute story

 that we hear every Christmas?

Do we get so busy with making our list and checking it twice

 that we add the Christmas Story to that list of things

 to read and share?

This is one of the verses that we have heard

 over and over this week.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel

(which means, God with us).

Matthew 1:23

Why did HE do it?

Why did HE come?

Did HE need us? (nope)

Didn't HE realize that even after HE came,

we would all at one time or another reject HIM, 

turn away from HIM, choose sin? (yep)

Yet, HE still came.

IMMANUEL

(God with us)

Why?

Because He made us and HE loves us.

HE loves us so much,

 that even when we choose sin and turn from HIM,

HE still chooses us.

HE still wants us.

How can we ever get on autopilot with a truth like that?

The God of the universe loves us and wants us.

So HE came in the form of a tiny baby, a human

(yet fully God)

to make a way for us when we had no way

 to make things right with HIM.

Let's keep that front and center 

everytime we hear the Christmas story.

It will change our lives and our days :) 

Names of God: The Lord is Peace

It seems that now more than ever

we have so many things that leave us

feeling hopeless,

full of worry,

robbed of peace...

chaos of the world,

personal conflicts,

an unsettled election,

sickness, death,

the worry of sickness and death,

the list never ends.

Gideon was a man who also lived in a time of chaos, 

his people had been ravaged by their enemies for 7 years,

there was no peace.

Then he hears from God and it changes everything.

Even before God ever defeats their enemies,

we find Gideon building an altar and calling God

"The Lord is Peace."

Even in the midst of war/chaos/uncertainty,

Gideon found the Lord of Peace.

The good news is that we can do that too.

In the middle of our struggles,

we have the privilege of calling out to

The Lord of Peace.

Jesus says...........

"Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving,

let your requests be made know to God.

And the peace of God,

which passes all understanding

will guard your hearts and your minds

in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4:6-7)

In a world full of so many things to worry about,

HE is saying that we can have peace,

that HE is our peace.

Does that mean that our circumstances will

immediately disappear?

Not always.

But HE promises Peace no matter what the circumstances are.

So maybe the question is....do we trust HIM?

Do we believe that HE rules over all creation?

Do we truly believe that HE has everything under control?

Do we think HE needs our help and our worry to fix things?

For most of us, the worry and fear started as soon

 as trouble presented itself.

But what if instead of sitting in a place of fear and worry,

we try choosing HIM?

Let's try surrender,

prayer and thanksgiving and 

then allow HIS peace to wash over us.

Now may the Lord of peace HIMself

give you peace at all times in every way.

The Lord be with you all.

(2 Thessalonians 3:16)

Touching Jesus

I just finished reading a biography on Mother Teresa.

Like everyone, I could pick her out of a lineup but I had never read or heard a detailed account of her work, her life,

her ministry, her sacrifices.

It was incredible.

While reading, I came across this quote from her....

"I know I am touching the living body of Christ

in the broken bodies of the hungry and the suffering."

Mother Teresa

It made me wonder about us as teachers and how we are really treating the students in our classrooms.

How do we think of them?

What do our words and actions reveal?

What if we looked at every student in our charge and imagined them as if they were Jesus?

How would we treat Jesus if HE were sitting

 in our classroom?

I know what we would SAY in answer to that,

but what do we really DO?

Would we be annoyed that HE needed to sharpen HIS pencil for the 12th time in an hour?

Would we be so mad at "Mary" for not sending in snack AGAIN that we take our frustration out on Jesus?

Would our tone of voice be any different?

Would we pause and think before responding?

Mother Teresa says treat them all like they are Jesus.

Guess what Jesus has to say about it.........

And the King will answer them,

"Truly, I say to you,

as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,

you did it to ME."

Matthew 25:40

Names of God: Master

"Master, Master..."

Luke 8:22-25

I don't know if you have ever been out in the ocean, far enough away that you cannot see land. It's a feeling that is hard to describe.You all at once feel the majesty of God's creation and the smallness of who you are. 

Maybe that's where the disciples found themselves on the day described in these verses. Maybe they felt the power of God's creation and their lack of power in the midst of a storm. 

Scripture says the disciples along with Jesus were in the boat crossing the lake when the windstorm blew in. Their boat began taking on water and they were in danger. Where was Jesus? (asleep) When they realized they were in trouble, they called out, "Master, Master..." 

Notice it doesn't say that they called out to each other.

They called out to Jesus.

The disciples were aware of their helplessness in the storm.

They didn't turn to each other because they were 

"all in the same boat".

They knew they were powerless 

but they also knew that Jesus was not.

What do we do in similar circumstances?

When we find ourselves in trouble,

when we see no solution,

no way out,

do we call out to others

(who may be no better off than we are)?

Do we find a worry partner?

Do we look for someone to complain to?

Or do we call out to our Master?

Let's never forget who our God is.

HE is Master of the wind and the waves.

HE is Master over our circumstances too.

Call out, "Master, Master....."

And then watch HIM make a way 

where there seems to be no way.

Names of God: Bread of Life

"Give us this day our daily bread"

Most of us are familiar with this line from the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).

When we say it, what are we really asking for?? 

our morning coffee,

chicken biscuit,

our favorite pasta dish??

Or maybe because the prayer is so familiar to us, 

are we even processing the words that we are saying?

While I do believe this verse has a literal meaning...

(asking for food/physical provision for the day and acknowledging that it is HE who supplies our essential,

daily need for food)

...I also believe it has another meaning,

more than just asking for physical food.

In John 6:35 Jesus says,

I AM the bread of life;

whoever comes to me shall not hunger,

and whoever believes in ME shall never thirst.

HE declares that HE is our bread.

When we ask God for our daily bread,

we are asking HIM to give us HIMSELF.

We are asking for HIS presence in our lives.

We are asking HIM to give us what we need of HIM for today.

We are in faith, asking HIM to provide just what we need, when we need, it for every circumstance the day may hold.

What do you need today?

food, strength for the journey, peace...

Jesus is our BREAD.

HE stands ready to meet our physical and spiritual needs.

Let's ask God for our daily BREAD

and let's mean HIM when we ask for it. 

We can trust HIM to meet ALL of our needs.

Names of God: Servant

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give HIS life as a ransom for many."

One of Jesus' names in the Bible is 

SERVANT.

The word servant usually brings kings (or the rich) to mind. 

We think of the poor or lowly submitting to the authority of the rich or a boss. 

Is submission to the rich or worldly authority what comes to mind when you think of Jesus as a servant???? 

No, yet one of HIS names is servant.

I think what's required is a change

 in our definition and our mindset.

A good servant is someone who does what is good for others.

Now that is a picture of Jesus.

Jesus,

King of kings

could have had a million servants at HIS beck and call,

yet HE chose to serve and not be served.

HE left heaven and came to live with people on earth.

HE taught about God.

HE healed the sick.

And then HE gave HIS life for the sins of the world so people who love HIM can live with God in heaven forever. 

Jesus was the ultimate servant.

Next time we find ourselves picking up trash, plunging toilets at work and wiping down tables for the thousandth time.....think about how like Jesus we are.

Servant: giving ourselves for the good of others, 

and pointing other to Jesus.

Names of God: Teacher

To: Teachers

About: THE Teacher

Of the 90 times that Jesus was addressed directly in the gospels, HE was called TEACHER 60 times.

HE never entered a "classroom" 

HE did not have a degree

HE didn't hang standards on the wall

or have a behavior clip chart,

yet HE was THE MASTER TEACHER,

the greatest teacher of all time.

HE always knew where HIS students were,

what they were thinking,

the message they needed

and how best to help them.

What a privilege to share the title

TEACHER with HIM.

What an honor it is to get to do something every 

single day that is so like HIM.

However, let's not forget to flip it around.

HE is Teacher and we are all HIS students. 

Let us never stop pulling our chair up close to THE Teacher's desk and listen to and learn from HIM,

remain teachable,

read HIS book, highlight, 

take notes, soak it up, 

take in the things that HE did and apply it to our lives,

 and keep watch for what HE will continue to do. 

Then, after we spend time being the student, 

let's follow HIS final command 

(which was a teaching command). 

"GO INTO ALL THE WORLD....TEACH"

Matthew 28:19-20

Names of God: The Great Physician

We FINALLY did it. We headed back to school after a LOOOOOOONG "Spring Break". It has felt like an eternity. Our staff was thrilled to be back in the building and anticipating our students' return. 

Our kids came on Monday and it has been a blissful, happy, exciting, exhausting, frustrating, hard (enter all the adjectives) week. But every minute has been worth it! 

In thinking about staff devotions and what message God had for us this year, I felt HIM whisper that we all needed a reminder of HIM. There is so much going on emotionally, physically, politically and also just so much anger and meanness on social media. It seems that we need to look at our God, get in THE Word and remind ourselves of who HE is. 

Due to circumstances, it seemed fitting to start with

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN.

A few years ago, my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, that was added to a heart condition, epilepsy, chronic back pain, 2 hip replacement surgeries, etc. She went through chemo and radiation, 2 surgeries and was finally placed on the Survivor's List. We thank God every day that through every one of those circumstances, HE chose to let us keep her.

Many years ago, when I was working in student ministry at a former church, one of our students deveopled a brain tumor and passed away at 16 years old.

When we experience situations like these our first thoughts are normally......Why?

Why has God allowed my sister to live on this earth for so long, with so many health issues, yet still live a long beautiful life with her husband and kids?

Why did God choose to take J when he was so young and had his whole life ahead of him?

How do we make any sense about situations like these?

We could drive ourselves crazy with the whys and trying to figure it all out, but the reality is that there is no way to fully know until we are HOME. 

1 Samuel 2:6 says.....

The LORD gives both death and life;

HE brings some down to the grave

but raises others up.

Now I know this verse doesn't tell us why. But, it does tell us who to put our faith in.

This verse tells me that God alone is the author of life and death. It tells me that God gives us all life, HE heals us when we are sick and HE also allows physical death.

The first lesson I teach our kids in Bible Study is that God is Creator and King.

God created all of us (and everything) and HE can do whatever HE wants to with all of us. I don't believe that means HE is up there like a puppeteer making us jump. But let's never doubt who is "holding the strings".  HE is in charge, HE is the author of life and death. HE knows all things past, present and future. HE knows when our time on earth is done. HE decides when it is our time to die.

I think part of our problem with this is that we think that dying is losing. When someone we love dies, we think that God didn't come through for us, when actually the total opposite is true. Death for Christians is the ultimate healing. It's eternal life with HIM. It is heaven.

So what does all of this have to do with 

going back to school???

We have so many plans in place to try to 

keep our kids healthy.......

We are cleaning 

spraying

wiping

washing hands

sanitizing

wearing masks

wearing shields

putting up platic barriers

not sharing supplies

keeping our distance

cleaning

spraying

wiping

on and on and on and on.....

but the truth is.....

our kids are going to get sick, our teachers are going to get sick (maybe not with Covid, but a hundred other things) it's just the nature of people getting together and it's the nature of life on this planet. 

I don't want us to get caught up in thinking that we are in any way in control of all that will happen. We can do our very best, we will be diligent and careful, we will do the natural, but let's not forget that God is supernatural and

HE will also do HIS part.

Sickness will come to some,

healing will come to most,

death will come to some

(and eventually to all).

Take comfort in the fact that HE is ultimately in control. 

HE is still in the healing business.

HE has not surrendered the throne.

HE is still working for our good and HIS glory.

Not By Might!

I am in LOVE with this verse today!

How many things do we fight and scrape for?!

How many times do we work ourselves into a frenzy trying

 to make things turn out the way we want them to?!

Do we strong-arm situations to our advantage?

Does it feel like an uphill battle?

Well, it probably should.

Many times we exhaust our might and our power

and are still no closer to a solution.

Do we ever stop to think that maybe it's not OUR fight?

It's not OUR mountain to move?

Sometimes we have to let go of things 

so that God can do HIS work.

HE doesn't need our muscles or our minds.

HE can certainly use them and many times HE does.

But maybe what HE wants is our surrender.

I know that I've messed up many situations just 

by trying to take care of them in my own power.

Facing something hard?

Something you need to overcome?

Tired of trying to figure it out or fix it?

Maybe HE wants us to sit this one out.

Let's try getting out of the way today and 

see what God wants to do with it.

Not by might, nor by power,

but by MY SPIRIT,

says the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 4:6

I See Ya!

Below is a repost from my blog that I wrote in 2015.

As I've been thinking over the last few weeks

of this Christmas season, 

this post is what kept coming to mind.

In the last few months, 

our family has been in a struggle,

where it has just felt as though a million things

have been pressing in on us.

When that happens, it's easy to wonder if God sees,

even when you know that you know,

that HE not only sees but HE also cares

and is working on our behalf.

The last couple of weeks,

God has really made HIMself known

through people and circumstances 

that we never would have guessed.

The only thing we can do is...

look up, smile, and say,

"I know that was YOU, God, Thank you!"

(repost 2015)
Has this ever happened to you?

Did you stop long enough to notice?

I'm still laughing at how this happened to me just today!

I was getting ready for church yesterday,

you know standing in the closet with my hands on my hips,

trying to make something different appear.

It was a little cool,

so each outfit I thought about wearing
had to come with a thought

about which sweater to drag along

(because it would be 80 degrees after church).

I remember standing there thinking,

"A JEAN JACKET WOULD GO GOOD WITH THAT.

I SURE WOULD LOVE A JEAN JACKET."

It was only a passing wish.

I quickly grabbed the old stand-by yellow sweater
and headed to church.

And now part 2 of the story.....

I LOVE hand-me-downs!

You know free clothes that other people
(preferably your friends)

don't want or don't wear anymore.

Well, I have a friend at school who gives me her clothes.

Every season she cleans out her closet and saves me a stash.

I LOVE IT!!

I guess you know where this story is going don't you?!

Yep, the last thing I pulled out of the bag was.......

this jean jacket!!

Yes, I immediately looked up, smiled, and thanked God.

I knew it was HIM!

The moral of the story is this.....

God is faithful!

HE will always meet our needs.

But, for me, today, HE was showing me that HE can

and sometimes will, meet our frivolous wants too.

I could have lived without that jean jacket,

but HE chose to love on me today,

through a simple act of a friend,

through a simple denim jacket.

I see ya, God!
Thank you!

Baggage Handler

I was on Facebook this morning and THIS came scrolling by.

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!

Why???? 

Because it's how it should be.

What a great portrayal!

How many of us are walking around with ALL of our baggage,

lugging around so much that we can hardly stand?

Carrying around our problems, our worries, our past, our hurts, our disappointments? 

I'm also usually walking around with all the possible solutions 

that I can figure out to solve all of those things.

But honestly, the weight is just too much.

And the truth is that it was never ours to carry!

Do you know this Mercy Me song???

I LOVE the line that says
"You were never meant to carry this BEYOND the cross"

Psalm 55:22 

Cast all your cares on HIM and HE will sustain you....

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on HIM because HE cares for you.

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all you are weary and burdened, 
and I will give you rest.

Let's give it to HIM today. HE has the strength to carry it.
Let's check our bags (not check them as in keep looking through them)
but turn in all of our luggage and let HIM do what only HE can do.
HE knows every situation, every problem.
And the best part is that HE knows the solution.
HE is the solution!

Is Your List Ready?

Ever get up in the morning with your list ready?

No, I don't mean your grocery list, or your activity list for the day.

I mean your list of complaints,

that list of ALL the things that are "wrong" in your life.

Have you ever woke up in the morning armed and ready with your complaints?

Ready to tell anyone who would listen what you were dissatisfied with?

(As if they wanted to hear your list, or could do anything about your list, arg!)

Well, today was one of those days for me.

I woke up with some things already on my mind,

and was all set to spend the day whining, complaining

(or maybe just being mad).

But God.........

(isn't that usually how the story goes?)

The kids and I sat down to do our devotion at school this morning,

turned to today's lesson and there HE was.......God.

There HE was, knowing what I was thinking and feeling today.

There HE was, knowing exactly what I needed to hear.

A very timely and accurate response to my plans for the day.

A reminder that GOD KNOWS.

A reminder that HE KNOWS what I need,

what I want,

what I'm thinking,

what I'm planning.

A reminder that HE knows better than I do what this day should hold.

Also a reminder that I have a choice. Did you see that part?

DECIDE to be happy!

CHOOSE to look for the blessings HE is sending our way today!

Live TODAY!

Thank you God. I got your message today.