😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  God loves you so much, that sometimes He just needs give you a swift kick in the pants to get you to quit wallowing in self pity.  He gets to that point where enough is enough. He’s tired of seeing you hurt yourself and He’s kind enough to give you that wake up call before you reach the point of no return. Sometime a slap in the face with pure honesty and truth is what we need.  Do you think Paul expected or wanted to experience his temporary blindness and wake up call?  I don’t think so. But look how good it turned out for him and us, when he opened his heart and accepted God’s never failing love. Allow His love to open your eyes to the truth this world has blinded you too. Share His love in a mighty way and watch as God transforms others right before your eyes. Last Thursday I was walking through the hospital by myself, just smiling as I walked along. I passed by a veteran and said “Hi”. He turned the corner behind me and said to me. “I didn’t want to smile, but I couldn’t help myself when you smiled at me.”  That brought a smile to my face because I know it wasn’t my smile, but the Lord working through my smile to brighten that veteran’s day. I pray that he knew it was from the Lord as well.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#Unspoken – Reason

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. While eating breakfast last Thursday I read and pondered that day’s quote: “I don’t want to trust my own heart, Lord. I want to trust Your Word and Your instruction so that I will walk wisely and never do ignorant or stupid things. Make me to be a wise person.”  Make me…Make me. Oh, that’s kind of a scary thought. Make me.  That sounds like pruning, stretching, being rubbed in the wrong direction, being uncomfortable. Make me wise, that sounds like Him allowing me to go through times and situations of ignorance, childish thought, selfish desires, and situations out of my control, so that I am enlightened to His will and understanding in order to grow me in His wisdom.  About 30 minutes later, sitting in my office I read the daily passage from “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. Matthew 20:22 “Ye know not what ye ask.”  This brought me back to earlier that morning, “Make me”…”Ye know not what ye ask.”  Oswald goes on to say “There are times in spiritual life when there is confusion, and it is no way out to say that there ought not to be confusion. It is not a question of right or wrong, but a question of God taking you by the way which in the meantime you do not understand, and it is only by going through the confusion that you will get what God wants.”  It’s so easy to say, make me humble, make me kind, make me a channel of your peace, make me your hands and feet, make me patient, but do we know what we are really asking, volunteering for, or getting ourselves into?  Honestly, there is no way to even guess what He will use to bring us to that point. 

Later that day while walking at lunch, I turned the corner into the grotto area and noticed a couple swans in the pond and it brought a smile to my face. As I drew closer, I realized they were decoys.  A distraction from what is real and true.  I’m guessing they are using them to try to control the geese population. This made me think how Satan constantly places decoys in our path to take our eyes off the one true Lord. As I was pondering this, I thought, “All it would take is ONE brave goose to swim out there and peck that decoy to realize it’s a fake and free the other geese to go back into the pond.”  I know it can be scary standing up to the unknown, whether that’s a person, a situation, or personal growth.  

But one thing is for sure, when we walk this journey with the Lord there will be less pain, fear, and confusion, and more love, peace, and clarity.   Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the decoys in life. Keep your eye on Him and take one step, one situation, one challenge at a time. Bless others and be blessed. 

#MercyMe – Ghost

#Oswald Chambers – My Utmost for His Highest

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. Physical touch is such an important aspect in our lives. I believe that sense of touch and desire/longing for touch starts in the womb.  I remember when I was pregnant, how the girls would stretch a hand or foot out and I would put my hand on my belly so I could feel them and they could feel me. There are studies that show human touch helps babies develop physically, emotionally, and socially. I heard a clip on the radio last week about how preemies don’t get as much touch time, so some hospitals have volunteers help hold the preemies to encourage development. That particular program was called Touch Buddies, but I’ve heard it called different things at different hospitals. Touch isn’t just important at the beginning of our life journey, it’s a very important aspect right up through our last breath.  About 10 years ago, a single friend of mine was telling me how much she missed that sense of touch and what it meant to her. From that day forward, every time I see her, I make sure to give her a hug. In my own life and marriage, it’s interesting to see how a lack of touch builds tension, but a single genuine touch can melt that tension away.  Although when our kids get to those middle school years and higher, they don’t want or feel they need that touch, they still do. Don’t back away, keep them engaged.  As much as human touch is important to our development, contact with the Lord is even more important for our physical, emotional, and social development.  His touch has an incredible healing power. For one woman, touching the hem of His garment, combined with her deep faith in Him healed her. That is a powerful touch and there is truly a peace that comes with being in His presence.  I imagine you’re saying right now, “We’ll that was great when He was alive, roaming the earth.”  But the truth is, He’s still here and you can feel His mighty presence and touch. There has been two places in particular in my life that if I wanted/needed to feel His presence, I would jump in the car and drive to Him. We can also experience His loving and healing touch through others. But He is also using you to be His loving and healing touch to others.  Take a few moments today to contemplate the importance of touch in your life and how you can share His presence with others.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#CastingCrowns – Jesus Hold Me Know

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. Wow, can you believe it’s September already?  Where has this year gone?  Reflecting on the past eight months it’s interesting to see the changes and comings and goings of relationships in my life. Thinking about relationships that were in my life on January 1st, I couldn’t have predicted some that have dwindled, others that have entered, and still others that have grown by leaps and bounds. And then there are those steady and true, built on solid rock relationships that I never want to take for granted. One of the biggest friendship challenges for me is seeing a friend hurting. Seeing a loved one in pain makes me mad and feel a sense of helplessness. I just want to hold them with all my might and make their pain go away. But at the same time, I know the Lord is working through them in these seasons.  I may not be able to take their pain away or fix the situation, but as a friend I can be a listen ear and His loving presence and comfort for those willing to accept it.  But they have to be willing to accept it. Those times of pain, darkness, and confusion are when we need our friends the most, although those are to easiest times to draw inward, hide, and embrace the darkness. Allow your friends to love you through the challenges of life and keep you in the Light.  It’s so much easier to see and prepare for what lies ahead when you’re standing in the Light, compared with tripping, fumbling, and being blindsided in the dark. Bless others and be blessed. 

#Crowder – Let it Rain

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. 1 Samuel 2-10: “One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel.  Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’  But Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down.  Again the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’  ‘My son,’ Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’  Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.  A third time the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’  Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.  The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’  Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’”

Who do you mistake God’s voice for?  Samuel thought it was Eli speaking to him. Three times God called out to Samuel, but he did not recognize the Lord, because he did not yet know the Lord. I’m not sure if Samuel even realized it was the Lord the fourth time He called to him. Samuel only responded the way he did out of obedience to how Eli instructed him to answer.  Last Friday I woke up with a message the Lord gave me to extend an invitation to someone I barely know. I had no contact information for this person, so He directed me to extend the invitation through a mutual friend. I contacted the mutual friend and she shared with me that God had been calling out to her all week about extending an invitation to her friend, but hadn’t because she didn’t want to have an awkward conversation with me about it.  The Lord is calling and sometimes He sounds like us, you know those thoughts in our heads that we come up with, which makes it easy for us to close the door and not be obedient to His call.  When we don’t act upon God’s calling, He will carry that message to someone else to deliver it to you, just as He directed Eli to Samuel. Have you ever wondered why you keep hearing the same message in a relatively short period of time?  Well, that’s God trying to reach you any way He can. Doubt and self questioning can go hand in hand when hearing from the Lord in the beginning. But the more you listen, the more you will recognize His voice, and the more you recognize His voice, the more He will talk with you.  Speak Lord, for your servant is listening. This small act of sharing our Lord’s words may not seem like much, but I tell you the truth, it will start a ripple effect. That one tiny drop of trust and action will create mighty waves. Some we will get to see and experience, but most of them we will have no knowledge. Our knowledge of those events is not what matters. The more you listen, the more confident you will become in recognizing His voice, the more confidently you will act upon His call, the more mighty wonders He will orchestrate through your small acts of obedience.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#JoshWilson – Dream Small

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. Granted, I haven’t read it completely through a multitude of times, but I’ve read through the Bible enough to know that I will never completely understand the Bible in my lifetime. What I do know is that as I grow more in the Spirit, I’m able to understand how the Lord uses His Word to enlighten and encourage me to share Him and grow our relationship even more. Last week I read in Deuteronomy 6:4-7 how we are to love our Lord with our whole heart, soul, and strength. We are to keep this command upon our hearts and share them at every moment possible. When we sit at home. When we walk along the road. When we lie down and when we get up. We know this, right?  But how about 6:8-9?  We are told to tie these commands (love our Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength) as symbols on our hands. Bind them to our foreheads. Writes them on our door frames and on our gates. Our minds can so easily be turned and swayed. God knows that we need to keep physical reminders in front of us at all time. Have you ever noticed how a sports fan has the jersey, hat, mug, keychain, flag, bumper sticker, phone app, etc. that always opens the door to conversation?  Way back in Deuteronomy, Moses is telling us to surround ourselves with these types of symbols, so that the Lord is ever present and at the forefront of our minds. That we have these reminds to allow us to share our relationship with Him at every moment.  How many times do you look at your phone a day?  What if you made a picture of Jesus your home screen?  How would that change your thoughts and interactions?  What if you wore something every day that pointed to your faith?  How would that open conversations about Him?  What if you changed your ringtone to a Christian song?  How many more times a day would that song draw your thoughts closer to God?  Share with me the different reminders and symbols you keep in front of you, that daily draw you closer to our Lord and encourage you to share Him with others?  Bless others and be blessed. 

#ThirdDay – This is Who I Am

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  Sunday during Father’s homily he said something that was very sobering and brought tears to my eye.  I have to tell you, they weren’t happy tears, they were because of my recognition of failure. Father was talking about his first parish assignment as a priest and shared with us the prayer that lead pastor at that parish prayed before every Mass. “Lord, let me pray this Mass as if it were my first…my last…and the only Mass I will pray.”  I’ve had the blessing of attending many Masses over the years, but can I say that I prayed them as if they were my first, last, or only?  Let’s be real, I know for a fact that there have been times that I honestly didn’t even “pray” the Mass. I was a spectator, checking people out. Who was with who? What were they wearing? That person is annoying. The message isn’t what I was wanting to hear. And I’m sure we’ve all complained about the music from time to time. Being able to freely attend Mass every week is such an incredible gift, but as I once said, “A gift isn’t fully given until it’s fully received.”  I’ve been missing out on so many more blessings simply by choice. The Lord wants to share so much of Himself and other wonderful gifts with us, but we are so focused on ourselves that we can’t even fathom what we’re missing. I understand, you have no idea how one gift will lead to another. Sure, it would be easy if God said, “If you do these five things, you’ll get what it is that you are really wanting.”  Instead He is telling us, “Will you trust me with this one thing?  Yes, you will?  That’s great, because now that you’ve built that into your being, will you trust me with this?  You will, wonderful. See what you’ve been able to do because you trusted Me the first time?  Now, will you trust me with this part of your life also?  Yes!  I really like your willingness. Do you see how these three things didn’t seem to go together, but because of your trust and willingness they have completely expanded your horizons?  Will you trust me with this?  EXCELLENT!…”  He has a never ending list of gifts and blessings chosen just for you. But until you choose to accept them and open them to their fill potential, they mean nothing to you. Although they mean everything, even death on a cross, to Him. I know at times it doesn’t feel like it, but believe it or not, God is giving us all the control. Make wise choices.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#LincolnBrewster – God of the Impossible

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. Earlier this week Brian and I celebrated our 18th anniversary by spending a few days in the Traverse City, MI area. Wow!  I’m really in awe of the beauty God created in that area. Sure, being in the Dayton, OH area we see flat corn fields all of the time. But add some rolling hills and dimension to those corn fields as they have in the Traverse City area and you have a very different view and perspective.  It’s interesting how changing one element of a situation can change so much. It wasn’t too long ago that I was sitting in the back seat of my car writing a 😎🐫 message, while waiting for a friend. When she arrived, she asked why I was sitting in the back seat. My reply, “It’s a different perspective.”  Occasionally we all need that backseat perspective. Perspective and attitude will incredibly change a moment. The lakes in MI were so clear, blue, and warm. It’s been about 12 years since I actually spent some time in water other than a shower, but their beauty just drew me in.  

A few years back when a local bookstore went out of business, I purchased a book that I wasn’t looking for, but it was on clearance and its title intrigued me so I purchased it. You know, those planned “chance” moments can be the greatest guides in our lives if we open ourselves to them.  The book is “The Power of One on One” by Jim Stump.  One on one, that’s what we shared this weekend.  We left the campground early and stayed out late. In four days of camping, we never even started a fire. If you know me, you know that’s a big deal. Thinking about this just now, it’s interesting that I was pulled back from the fire and drawn to the water.  Hmmm, that’s something else to contemplate.  Anyway, I feel I’m all over the place this week, but just hang with me a bit longer. I grew up playing a different sport each season and I kind of had rotating, seasonal friendships.  Hanging out with a group of friends for me, became more about just having a good time and conversation that just scratched the surface of life, love, concerns, and growth.  And we all need that alone time to help center ourselves, quiet down our spirit, and have one on one moments with the Lord.  But I believe where I thrive is in one on one walks and talks. I believe that’s where you are most free go deep with others. Undistracted time, asking those challenging questions and opening your heart and soul without fear of judgment, knowing that matters discussed are held in confidence and love.  Being away from the distractions of everyday life is one of the reasons why I really enjoy road trips with Brian.  Spending hours in a car with only one other person will certainly initiate conversations that would have never otherwise happened.  I want to encourage you to tap into the power of one on one relationships. Allow them to be open, vulnerable, find joy, and go deep. Allow your cup to be filled ‘til it overflows. The blessings you discover will be beyond measure. Bless others and be blessed. 

#TobyMac – Overflow

#JimStump – The Power of One on One

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. I know we’ve all had those moments looking at a picture of ourselves when we start picking on ourselves. I don’t like this…  I don’t like that…  Delete!  I’ve come to a point in my life that I don’t worry so much about that stuff. I’m comfortable with who I am, so those physical images aren’t a major hang up for me.  It wasn’t always this way and I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this or not, but when looking at pictures of myself it’s like I’m looking at a stranger. There’s no life, no spirit, and it seems very empty.  His Spirit is alive and is what gives me life. Is that what’s missing in the pictures?  How many times do we pass by people that have a blank, hollow, lifeless look about them. I imagine we’ve experienced that more than we would like to count. That blank, hollow, lifeless look is God’s invitation calling you to bring His Spirit to them, to bring them life filled with His presence.  That doesn’t mean Bible thumping them. It’s about loving them the way they need to be loved (although we don’t always know what we need or what’s best for us) and allow His presence to ooze and pour out of every action and word you speak.  Be His light to a longing heart and allow them to experience what true life in the Lord really is. This doesn’t mean you should run out and find a “project”, but be open when He sends you an invitation. You’re part of His plan. Bless others and be blessed. 

#TaurenWells – God’s Not Done with You

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you.  Surrender?  Everything?  I’ve been working on a project recently and I’ve heard myself say out loud on multiple occasion regarding that project, “I want whatever God wants.”  But later I’ll try to control the situation and give it a “Not that.” or “I want it this way.”  This past weekend’s Women’s Emmaus Walk was an incredibly strong reminder of how an ordinary place + flawed individuals + surrender to the Holy Spirit = God’s overwhelming ability to change lives beyond measure. Yes, faith is believing in that which we cannot see, but we can see and experience God.    He leaves evidence of His presence everywhere, but without surrender, we are blind to that evidence.  I know in my heart that His will is so much greater than mine. I just need to keep telling that to my mind and give Him my full surrender. Bless others and be blessed. 

#AustinFrench – Holy Ground