😎🐫🎤 I was absolutely blessed this week by God’s presence and something a friend told me on Sunday night. Before I tell you what she said, I have to back this story up a year to February 2017 when God told me that I needed to invite this friend and her husband to an Emmaus Walk weekend. I had no idea how the offer would be received, but asked just as God instructed.  They accepted and he took his Walk in Aug 2017. She was scheduled to go in Sept 2017, but the weekend was moved to this past weekend.  What she told me Sunday was this…”If someone would have told me a year ago that you would give us a gift that would save our marriage, I would have told them they’re crazy.”  The thing is, the gift wasn’t from me. It was from God. He told me to ask. Which also made me think, what if I wouldn’t have listened and acted upon His request?  Where would they be today?  It’s so important to actively listen for God and do as He asks.  I had no idea what would come of the invitation, but that’s okay because we don’t need to know the outcome, we just need to act when instructed. Trust me, if God asks you to do something, you know His plan is for good.  Experiencing this life changing event was a great reminder that God still does miracles. Pray to hear His words and fearlessly act upon them. Bless others and be blessed. 

#HawkNelson – He Still Does (Miracles)

😎🐫🎤 Yesterday was Shrove Tuesday, the feast before the fast of Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.  At our Shrove Tuesday service, we celebrate and sing the Alleluia one more time before it’s buried for the 40 days of Lent. Alleluia is my favorite word to say and sing, so it makes me very sad when we take the Alleluia banner down, put it in a wooden box, and slammed the lid shut. Hearing the lid slam shut instantly brings tears to my eyes.  These 40 days are a time of preparation and we all approach that very differently. Take some time to really focus on your faith journey and what that can look like as you travel through these next 40 days, towards the celebration of Easter.  I really like the video that goes with this song. Bless others and be blessed. 

#Newsboys – The Cross Has the Final Word

😎🐫🎤 The title of a class that Brian and I are working through at church is called Oremus, which is Latin for Let Us Pray. This week we are working through prayer, focusing on our spiritual senses and this was one of our discussion questions. “If you could be a part of a scene in Jesus’ life, which scene would you like to enter?  I thought that was an interesting question. Think about that for a moment and if you’re willing to share, I would like to hear which part of Jesus’ life you would have liked to experience in the flesh and why. 

Today’s song is one that I like to crank up in the car and sing as loud as I can. I’m just in awe when I think about my favorite line of this song, “To You my future is a memory.”  It’s incredible to think that God is with me and you every single breath of our lives. And He has walked every step of our journey before we even took one step. The joy, the pain, the sorry, the peace, He knows it all. Even the times we will reject and deny Him. But yet, He still reaches out to us, stretching as far as He can, hoping we will reach back for Him.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#CastingCrowns – Already There

😎🐫🎤 I enjoy ironing, but it absolutely amazes, okay frustrates me when it only takes a split second to make a wrong crease and then it takes 5 minutes to try to undue that mistake. I had a day this week that I just felt like I was putting creases all over my day. I headed for home that night feeling defeated and really doubting myself. Just like ironing a wrong crease, it’s amazing/frustrating how quickly we will allow ourselves to spiral downward and that climb back up seems to take forever. After dinner that night, I sat down to do my daily reading, and of course, God knows exactly what we need. That night my reading was Luke 12: 22-32. Very loud and clear God told me “Don’t worry about your life!”  I told God “I want people to know that they can trust my work and abilities to get things done right.”  I barely finished speaking those words and God excitedly responded “Exactly Shell!  I want you to trust in MY work and ability to get things done right.”  I know I’m not perfect and I can’t expect to be any more perfect, than perfectly flawed. It’s when I accept and embrace these flaws that I allow Him to complete me.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#Orianthi – According to You

😎🐫🎤 A good friend shared a very sobering experience with me Saturday. Four years ago that day, she nearly died from an illness. But she was celebrating that God gave her more time on earth with family and friends. This made me think of another good friend that was knocking on death’s door, but by God’s grace was offered another chance to serve Him here, a little while longer.  As I was thinking and praying for these friends, I realized that both of these situations happened just months before I met each of them.  That is what was so sobering, realizing that I may have never experienced or shared their lives, if it were not for His grace. God may call us at any given moment, which is why we need to celebrate and take full advantage of the time and relationships we’re given.  Love always, forgive often, and offer grace…God’s grace whenever the opportunity is given.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#MattRedman – Gracefully Broken

😎🐫🎤 I’m not one that asks for prayer for myself much, so I was very humbled this past week when two friends on separate occasions said they were praying for me and one even offered to go out of her way to shuttle me to a couple of events I have scheduled for this weekend. I don’t know if I really did this or not, but I felt like my chin dropped open and I really didn’t know what to say. I was sitting in awe at those moments and felt completely wrapped in the presence of God. I’ve experienced moments like this before and that’s a feeling I will never get tired of and am excited for the next time it happens. There is no feeling as good as being held by God. These two experiences got me to thinking…How many people have prayed for me over these past 50 years?  Obviously, some I know about and other I haven’t got a clue. Some are people I don’t even know personally, but they have prayed for me. These prayers have helped to shape me and my life, but I hadn’t even given them any real thought until now. Have you ever taken account of the prayers from others that have helped to shape your journey?  The gift of these uncountable prayers, well, there’s no word to describe them but awesome. I would like to ask your prayers for the surgeon and all those who will be taking care of me tomorrow and again on Feb. 1st, when I have my eye surgeries. Thank you in advance and know I will be praying for you also. Bless others and be blessed. 

#JamieGrace – Show Jesus

😎🐫🎤 Last Wednesday evening I had, well we’ll call it an experience with a representative from a faith community that I’m heavily involved with and it left me strongly questioning if it was time to walk away. For the next 24 hours, that’s really where my heart was headed. Then God reminded me: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.”  It wasn’t this individual that was attacking me, but Satan aka the master of disguise doing his darnedest to pull me from God and where He wants me to be. When praying on the Armor of God, God makes it very clear when He tells us three times that we need to stand firm. You might as well make those words bold, all caps, and underline them three times. My instinct in this situation was to leave, turn tail and run.  But I thank God that He was willing to talk with me and I calmed down enough to hear His heart. Satan, you lost this flight and I’m coming back stronger than before.  Bless others and be blessed. 

#Rachel Platten – Fight Song

😎🐫🎤 One of my favorite things to do is smell a new book. To me, the smell of a book has come to signify opportunity to learn, grow, be a better person, and pass that knowledge along. A brand new notebook, well it’s not the best smelling book, but oh the possibilities. Growing up, I always pressed really hard when I wrote, so I left imprints on the next 2 or 3 pages and it wouldn’t take long before the pages would no longer lay flat. It’s like the pages grew and my notebook got fatter. I would find myself yearning for a new notebook just so I could have a fresh start. Well, welcome to your fresh start for 2018.  A lot of people have such high expectations and hopes for the start of a new year, but Dec 31st can seem so far away. Life starts pressing in and leaving its mark a few pages deep. Like the notebook, your life isn’t as crisp, clean cut or lying flat anymore. Maybe your life gets fatter like my notebook. (No, I didn’t just call you fat.)  You can’t just start a new year like you can grab a new notebook.  What I’ve found to be the equivalent of a new notebook in my year is my attitude. Every morning you wake up with a new start and you can choose to grab that old attitude or start with a fresh, clean, crisp attitude. Our Father gave us the power of love so that we could be fearless. You are loved and there is no better way to show that love than through your actions and words. Don’t be afraid of what folks may say about you. Be fearless and live as only God knows you truly can. You know I’m dancin’ around during this song. Let loose and dance like no one is watching. It just may bring a smile to your day. Bless others and be blessed. 

#JasmineMurray – Fearless

😎🐫🎤 As I was asking the Lord for His words for today’s message, the last Wednesday before Christmas, I expected something profound about Him and His birth. What He said was, “Mary did you know?”  He went on to share with me how much Christmas is about us trusting in Him and having the courage to say “YES” to Him when He whispers in our ears. Those that we hear about during the Christmas season are Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, the shepherd, and the wise men. They each have a very unique situation and experience with God and they all said, let your will be done.  I don’t want to make this too long, so take some time between now and Monday to consider each of their situations and how the different parts of your life coincide with their journeys to Christ. How is God reaching out to you through them?  What is He showing you and asking of you?  Will you say yes, thy will be done?  When we accept Christ at Christmas and every day of our lives, we are saying yes to the love, grace, growth, peace, challenges, and forgiveness that He has to offer us. Bless others and be blessed. Merry Christmas!

#Pentatonix – Mary, Did You Know?

😎🐫🎤 Question. If you decommercialize your Christmas season, would anyone know what you’re truly preparing for and celebrating?  Nothing says I’m celebrating Christ like an ugly sweater. When you look at a decorated tree, do you imagine the presents that will be under it or Christ in the manger?   During this season of peace, why is there no rest for the weary?  Maybe if we spent a tenth, a tithe of the time that we normally spend decorating, shopping, baking, stressing, wrapping, etc. and just soak in Christ a little each day, we will radiate the true, non-commercial meaning and purpose of Christmas. Let Christ be the light that radiates from you to all those who cross your path this season and every day of your life. 

I like this song, but find the video distracting. Maybe just listen to the words. Bless others and be blessed. 

#Branan Murphy – Enough