Rainbow Smiles

Houston has finally been receiving much needed rain and cooler temperatures have arrived because of it! These cooler temps have been a blessing as the heat indexes have had us between 101-111 degrees for several weeks straight now.

Thunderstorms seem to kick up just after lunch time, so I thought I should get my errands run as soon as I got 3 of the 4 kids to their designated schools. At 8:15am, my 3yr old and I were on a mission and out the door. The skies to the east looked crystal blue but to the west, dark clouds already blanketed the sky. Our first stop was to the recycle bins at the elementary school. My closet got a much needed cleaning!!

As I drove eastward to the school, I was smiling, happy that we had such clear skies above. Grocery shopping, and you add in a 3yr old, is horrible in the rain! I felt the blessing of provision-clear skies, beautiful white puffy clouds and sun shining bright enough to already need sunglasses. This was good. It is good to remember, storms don't stay for long! This too shall pass!

As we circled around the back of the school, my car turned westward facing once we arrived at the recycle dumpsters. I stepped out of my car and it was as if I had stepped into another world. As I stood looking westward, the skies were completely grey. Dark skies were creeping closer and closer over me. "Man, what a bummer!" I mumbled under my breathe. I was so hopeful and excited just 30 seconds before!! Just as the words came off my lips, I removed my sunglasses and caught a glimpse of something...it was the beginnings of a rainbow! Wow! Within seconds, the colors deepened, almost as if God was outlining each distinct color for me to see their order. It was almost like God was saying, "Well, I bet I can make you smile."

Instantly, my mind is captivated by this amazing, tiny edge of a rainbow. I watched for the rest of it to fill out but it never seemed to expand out. I was no longer concerned with the looming storms that were sure to burst out over me at any moment, storms that were about to mess up my entire morning's schedule. Although I had been waiting for days to get these errands done, having experienced this bizarre change of scenery was worth another day of waiting. We took in the sights and yes, we were smiling!
My son and I finished dropping of the papers and magazines. Even 5 minutes later, the rain was still being held back, so, off to the store we went, hoping that we would continue under these skies. It didn't look likely, but we were willing to chance it! Turning left onto the main drive to the store, which happened to be eastward, my 3yr old son says, "Mom? Where's the rainbow?" To my amazement, it was not there. We were looking towards the clear, blue skies! This was bizarre. Just a minute ago we were facing darkness and now were faced the light...surely just driving around to the other end of the school, we could see the rainbow?! Nope! It was gone!

There is something beautiful and comforting in the beauty of light. Birds are chirpping, animals out playing, puffy clouds blanket the sky and the crystal blue color is a brilliant backdrop to His creation. You really get a sence of depth and heigth as you study the varying levels of clouds. And yet, there is something equally intimidating and beautiful in the darkness. The deep rich colors of the skies, displaying the magnitude of heaviness. And yet, the tiniest burst of color in a rainbow can change the entire scene. It is a sign of hope, a distraction off of the storm and a focus onto something amazing and captivating. You cannot help but focus on it as it displays it's brilliance against the darkness.

Like a Parent distracting their child's attention away from their boo-boo, God does this for us too. When we look into a dark season in our life, He gives us a rainbow, a reminder of the coming hope. (Romans 8:28) It may be tiny or full out, reaching as far as the eye can see. It may be literally a rainbow in the sky or it may also come in the form of a blessing. He may bless you physically, emotionally and always spiritually. It may come directly to you in a moment, a prayer, a dream. It may come to you through a brother or sister in Christ. God can use any means to get our attention...question is...are we listening? Are we looking for Him?

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

I Thess 5:16-18

"You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey Your words. I have sought Your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise." Psalm 119:57-58

"You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word. Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God! Sustain me according to Your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed." Psalms 119:114-116

Father God, Creator of ALL things, help me to see You in the every circumstance. Whether a season of happiness or a season of hardache, God give me a rainbow to reminder me You are near. Distract me from the only seeing the darkness of my storm. Holy Spirit, shine Your light and lead my steps. Display Your majesty. Remind me of Your promises so I can stand strong. God, You are my refuge and my strength, my rock in which I stand on. I will not fear what seems possible, but I will trust what I know to be true! Thank You Jesus, amen!

Cleaning the Wounds

Recently, our Beagle named Peanut, was injured, leaving an open wound on her neck. We debated on whether or not to take her to the vet for stitches. I needed to get close to the wounded area and needless to say she wasn't too sure about me digging around there. Thankfully, she trusted me enough to allow herself to snuggle up to me and lay down beside me so that I could care for her wound.

To prevent infection, I needed to clean the area good. I am sure it was uncomfortable for her. I bet it even stung for several moments. Knowing her nervousness around the buzzers when I simply cut the boy's hair, I knew it would be too much for her to bear in her time of extreme stress therefore I elected to use the scissors. My hands are pretty steady. The use of scissors made it much more difficult for me as I had to be so careful around the wound.

Peanut laid there nervous but trusting. She attempted to get up and go a few times, but a word of encouragment and a rub of love and she settled back down in obedience and submission. I think she knew I was trying to help her and not hurt her. Snip by snip, I cleared the area of her wound. It went better than I expected in that she didn't resist, constantly putting up a fight with me, so the process went smoother for all of us. By this time, my brother in law had come to assist and was a wonderful help in comforting Peanut and praising me for my steady hands.

Do YOU have a wound that needs to be cleared and cleaned? Are you resting, trusting, submitting in obedience to the Master Hands which are steady and skilled to make you whole again? Or are you resisting and prolonging the process of healing?
You must remember who is calling you...it is The Great Physician and Healer. Can you stop squirming and resisting long enough for Him to cleanse your wound? Yes, it may sting but healing is coming. You MUST trust the process. He will NOT give you more than you can bear...He knows you! He knows your strength. He will meet you at the threshold of ENOUGH! Trust Him!

"And Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your faith has healed you." And instantly the blind man could see! Then he followed Jesus down the road." Mark 10:52

Father God,
You see my wounds that need to be cleaned before infection sets in. Come quickly Lord and Heal me, Cleanse me from deep within. Remove from me all that hinders and wash me pure. Make me whole Father God. Cover me, seal me and protect me. Will you send encouragers to me that will steady me, encourage me, hold my hand when I am afraid? Holy Spirit, guide my heart and my thoughts through the process. Hold my mind and soul steady and strong. God I trust Your strong hands, so faithful and all-knowing.
Thank You in advance for Your provisions and protections from hinderances, especially keeping me from me, being my own worst obstacle. With the blood that Heals, I praise Your Good Name, Amen.

I've got it now!

We have all said this in our younger days...goes something like, "You never know what you've got until it's gone." I think there may have even been a song written about it, my trivia husband would know that answer.

Recently though, I believe the opposite to be true. I think I may have something until I actually have it and in comparison, I realize I really didn't have it before. For example, I thought I had joy, but then when God allowed difficult circumstances into my life, it was then that I discovered true joy that comes in all circumstances, even the most difficult ones. Same with peace and contentment. My spirit is generally peaceful and I would say I am a content person and yet through the difficult season, I had unrest, worry, anxiousness and wanted something else.

When hopelessness, fear and desperation entered into my life, it was then that I learned what it meant to have true peace that surpasses all understanding, and that joy was something steadfast despite any circumstance and that being content with the fact that God loves me and will never leave me or foraske me and nothing could mean more to me than my salvation. Nice clothes, nice house, grand vacations, perfect things...none of it mattered...I simply need God to be my Father, my Lord, my Redeemer and my Strength. Because I know that He is with me, I will not fear, worry, covet. He is all I need.

The gift of Sisterhood has also taken on new meaning. It wasn't until my friend was gone that I understood how special she was/is...no, God has blessed me here and now knowing the richness of a true Sisterly-Friendship. It is rare to find a true-love you just as you are-blessed friendship. They are like rare, precious jewels. I have had many friends throughout my life and would still count myself blessed to have many friends, but the number of real friends is quite less. When God intertwined our paths, I knew they were special, I didn't know why or how, but I trusted in my spirit for their spirit in our like-mindedness in the Lord. Because of these precious few, now I know what a true Sister-Friend is because I have some.

I pray God will continue to open my eyes and ears to the blessings He sends my way. That I will receive them in the moment given rather than in hindsight. For what I think I have, I may not until the authentic is present. May I not be cheated by something counterfiet but be assured with the authentic!


God, give me Your eyes to see the blessings and the perserverance not to settle for less than what You have planned for me. Help me to know if I am choosing foolishness or am being fooled by the evil one. It is my desire to know You more, to bring You glory and reflect Your light. Lord God, guide me in truth and give me wisdom to know Your best so I may honor You. Satisfy my soul. Quench my thirst for something else. You Jesus, are all I ever need and Your grace is abundantly more than I deserve. Forgive me for accepting less than. You are ALL I want. You are ALL I need. Praise Your beautiful and Holy Name alone, the One true God. amen!

Father

Often I hear people relate the The Lord to our Daddy here on earth, so loving and kind, protective and gentle, but you know what? That's not the case for everyone. In this day and age, I think it is rare to have such a godly father who can closely reflect the Love of Our Heavenly Father above. 
Isn't it nice to know that no matter what kind of Dad you had/have, despite how he treated you, even if he has disowned you...you DO HAVE, HAVE HAD and ALWAYS WILL HAVE a Father. Your Father in Heaven loves you soooooo much. He gave up His life for yours. He was beaten, ridiculed and laughed at for loving and protecting you. He has fought a huge fight over your soul and over your inheritance in Him. You child, we worth dying over. You were worth every bit of His time. By Him, you were "fearfully and wonderfully made!"

Even if you have been blessed with a loving, devoted, nurturing Dad, he cannot compare to your Heavenly Father.

Be encouraged that regardless of your realtionship with your Dad, be it good or bad, there is One Father who cherishes you, loves you, roots for you, cares for you, listens to you, who desires to provide and protect you every day, in every moment, in every situation.

HE will NEVER leave you or forsake you! You are NEVER alone!

AMEN!!!!!

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." John 15:5-8

God is so good to me. He knows I am a hands-on, visual kinda of learner, so He continually shows me through circumstances and things what He may be trying to teach me. Nothing like an illustration to go with the message huh? I love it! I see it as a form of confirmation that I am hearing Him correctly. Yes, I am a note-taker otherwise I will forget what I just learned. I have ADD and Spiritual ADD-haha!

In my orevious post, I casually mentioned "pruning." Well, I got the visual, so I believe we have ourselves a pruned girl! Our only tree in the front yard is a towering pine tree. Last week, it's pine needles began to turn brown and rapidly spread through the remainder of the tree. It took us a while to figure out what was happening. First, we thought it was in desperate need of water, so for the first few days, we watered it a lot. It didn't make sense because of the amount of rain we have been experiencing, so then we thought maybe a bug was attacking it and we planned on spraying it. By Day 6 the tree was crisp. Toast. Burnt brown amongst the neighbors green landscapes!

We called a Tree Expert who would know exactly what was wrong with our tree and he said it was the Pine Beetle; therefore the tree is dead...no hope for reviving it. He explaind that the beetles get into the core of the tree and suffocate the tree within days. It is a quick death. Removing it immediately was necessary to prevent the bettle from destroying another nearby tree or plant. So, yesterday, finally, the towering tree came down, stump and all. Today, we did notice a dying branch on one nearby tree. Time will tell if the beetle has moved in. My 13 year old grabbed the saw and we pruned out some of the branches, hoping to save the rest of the tree from being destroyed. It was hard work but needed to be done. It looks ugly in form now but we know next spring it will be better for it.

God used this experience to teach me about my pruning. It is necessary to remove the dead places. It is also necessary to stop the spread of any more impurities, to other areas of my own life or in the life of another. Some disease is self-destructive, hurting only itself all the while affecting those that surround. We may be dealing with a personal/private sin but odds are, you are indirectly affecting someone else. There are diseases which are contagious, spreading itself to those around. Sin entangles us and often someone else gets caught up in our web!

Pruning is costly. For the tree it was $350 out of the checking account. Spiritually, it may cost us relationships, pride, temporary suffering. It may be a quick process but it depends on how thick our "branches" are. My son grew fatigued as he sawed the thick middle branch. It took a lot more work of time and energy to cut it off than the smaller branch next to it.

For me, the process of pruning the the fat branch of fear in my life took many months to cut out. As new twigs sprout worry and anxiety (just to name a few), they are quickly snipped off. God has created us to live and be fruitful and joyful. He makes everything beautiful in His time. So, it may be that you have large, thick branches that need to be pruned and removed from your core system. Depending on the amount of smaller branch systems sprouting out of your thick one, it may take extra time and energy to get all the way down to that thick branch. 

Choosing the right tool is important. A dull blade will certainly prolong the process and fatigue you. You need a sharp iron, a sword of the Spirit. God's Word can cut through anything!!! Small or large. God can also bring in a work crew of Godly people in your life to support and mentor you as you work. No one can do it for you. Your property is just that-your property and it is up to you to take care of your space! You are living and anything living is suseptible to disease. When it becomes necessary for a little trim, you can be sure that something glorious is to come in it's place.

Prevention is key! With my tree, if I would have been pro-active, I would have protected it with pesticides at the beginning of the season. It would have been better equipped to repel the bugs. For me, being proactive would look something like this. (Specifics will be as individual as each of us are but this is general foundations.) I would equip myself with and through the Word of God which is Living and acts like a Sword, cutting through to the truth of everything. Within His Word is truth, application and battle gear instructions, such as prayer, salvation, petitions, surrender. We must daily be in His Word so that we know how to live in our space and take proper care of it.Little Satan Bugs are constant pests that we must repel and only the blood of Jesus can repel them from destroying your core and suffocating you. Get them at the boundary before they destroy you. Be on guard. Be ready and prepared.

When you face something that you are unsure about, seek the Expert and heed His advice. He knows what He is talking about. Be sure to take a picture because something beautiful is going to grow.   

In HIS timing there are tears of joy and tears of sadness

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live." Ecc 3:1-12

Some days are roller coasters of a day, aren't they?! I try really hard to stay in the moment and not dwell, but sometimes it gets the best of me, hence, the struggle with worry and anxiety. I have people in my life that if one thing goes wrong, the rest of the day is ruined. For me, I am pretty level-headed, I think. I am patient, have to be as a Mom of 4!!, so I don't flip from one extreme to another. I say each day is a blessing, a gift and when something bad comes along, I address it (most of the time) and work with it...other times, it is put under one of the Not-dealing-with-this-right-now-Rugs. And we move on.

Recently, my heart has been grieving over many different things in my life-in the life of those around me, along with all the evil in our world! I was heart broken last night to listen to some of the testimonies from the Youth Mission trip my son just returned home from...we have no idea what some children have to deal with on a daily basis. Can they comprehend that God loves and cares for them and will never leave them, all the while being beaten and abused in their own home!!! It would have to be a miracle movement of God, such a clear evidence that God is there for them to believe it. That is so sad.

 Our homes are supposed to be a place of refuge from the world and yet so many children live in homes that often host the evils of our world...Jesus please rescue them, show Yourself in mighty and clear ways in these broken and abused hearts. Through each one may a new legacy begin in Love's name.

My toddler, the baby, was diagnosed with Periodic Fever Syndrome and it is like getting the flu for 5 days each month. It is hard on his little joyful body and on me. This past month, actually last week, I was thrilled to hear him say "My knee hurts." and then later saying, "I swallowed my tooth." I was thrilled because these are issues during the episode but he wasn't suffering with a fever that day! I rejoiced with gladness that God had heard our prayers and answered them, healing had come...only to be awakened at 4am with a very sick baby. Needless to say, I was not happy. My bubble burst. My joy was zapped. I cried out to God, "WHY? What happened?" My once compassionate and patient spirit became angry and exasperated. Again God? I want a miracle.

I have several friends dealing with health and cancer issues-what's there to like about that?! Some of the sweetest people I know are suffering. Why? It hurts me to feel and know their pain and yet, you can still see God moving through them in beautiful ways. Romans 8:28-to Him be the glory....even in this.

I could go on and on on all the tragedy and evil...

There are countless blessings in my life, and in those around me to make us all jump for joy all day long. God's grace and movement is everywhere if we look. He leaves His fingerprints all around us for us to discover as we journey on through our life with Him.The beauty of His creation alone amazes me! The diversity of the animals, the landscapes, human life, the twinkling stars...everywhere, He gives us things that amaze us.

With the amount of good things in my life, I could rejoice all day long and never see or meet a need. Same thing can be said about the bad things in my life, I could fuss and complain and stew all day long and never see or be a blessing.

To everything, there is a season. He makes everything beautiful. If this is true, then despite my circumstances, I can rejoice in a moment of good news or mourn in a moment of bad news. I may even be talented enough to cry in grief and joy at the same time!!!

I may be struggling and have a bad day only to be met with a blessing. It doesn't remove my struggle, but for a moment, I can smile and feel relief from the storm upon me. The storm may even seem smaller.
I may be dancing and singing, on a mountaintop high with the Lord and become aware of a desperate need, and mourn for the moment, petition the Lord with all heart and soul, broken hearted over the situation, and yet continue on in my day with a glad and cheerful heart with a remembrance.

God is working on me, He is pruning once again. It is painful. I have become quite good at masking emotions and I have a feeling God is calling me out on it and I so do not want to go there, so I think He is allowing me to get mad and feel mad and learn to become okay with being mad. I do not want to be mad. I want to be happy and joyful, patient and loving with no anger or bitterness. I do not like Green Eggs and Ham~ Sam I am! (heehee)

There is something to be said about staying in the moment, feeling what you feel when you feel it and yet not being consumed by it, blocking out everything else. I understand some things are overwhelming and it may be something we have to deal with for a longer season (like my toddler's disease, or these abused children or someone who may be suffering from an illness) but in the midst of every circumstance, every storm, every blessing stands a Mighty and Loving God and Father who is our strength and peace. It is His steady hand that we can stretch out. His grace will meet our every need, great or small, it is sufficient for a moment or the duration longer than we expected.

There is a time to weep and a time to dance. It may be on the same day, or it just might be a season apart. But in the midst, each day is full of mercy and grace, compassion, forgiveness and love. Count your blessings every day! You may not be happy, but don't let Satan steal your joy, trust and your peace. Guard it.

Do not let pride get in the way of asking for another to come alongside you to encourage you when you are having "one of those days." Perspective helps and Prayer heals. Maybe you are too consumed by your circumstances to see the rainbow in your cloud...ask God to send you a friend with good news. Or maybe you need help and guidance dealing with a tough issue...ask God to send you someone with the gift of counsel and wisdom.

Whatever "it" is...God makes everything beautiful in HIS time. You are are a light in the darkness. You may be struck down but not destroyed!!!! I pray that our spirits remain trusting, joyful, calm, peaceful and satisfied. May our hearts feel all that He has created us to feel and may God bless hearts and minds, rescuing us from the pit of despair, placing us at His throne of Grace to see His glory shining through!

Be joyful always, giving thanks in ALL circumstances. I Thess 5:16-18

We are For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned;

struck down, but not destroyed. 

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body. II Cor 4: 6-11

In all things...to HIM be the Glory! AMEN!

Renewed Day by Day

"For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. 

For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—"I believed, and so I spoke"—we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. 

Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 

For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal."  
II Corinthians 4: 6-18

What are you looking for?

Do you remember playing the game Slug Bug or even Hide and Seek when you were a little kid? It is funny how our brain works. Days can go by and I am still noticing the Bugs and good hiding places for next time we play Hide and Seek. Your brain can be tuned in and focused without you even realizing it.

So then it makes me wonder, what is my mind focused on. What am I looking for as I go throughout my day. God has been working with me on being anxious and negative in my thought patterns ( I know, it is hard to believe I would ever think negatively, but I do, that is what anxiety and worry and fear are....negative thinking.) I tend to notice it (the "What If's") as I go about my day wondering "what will I do if...." so maybe because I am continually looking to put out or avoid the next fire, I see a lot of potential fires.

If this is true, that our brains will focus in and cause us to be sensitive to our "object", and we tend to find what we are seeking, it is important to know what we are seeking so we will know that we have found it and be ready to receive it. Don't know about you...but I prefer to find good things...rewards...blessings of hope and love, mercy and compassions. I don't want misery, chaos, problems, conflicts, doubt, fear, illness.

So why am I constantly noticing these "bad" things? I have to look at my thoughts and my thoughts are based on what I believe in my heart and spirit. My heart, mind and soul must be focused on the Lord and my spirit must be God led. When my entire being is dwelling on the good things of God, then my heart will fill with joy, my spirit will give me direction of where I should go. Therefore, my thoughts, my focus, will be on the good things of God. Behind the good things of God, is knowing who God is. You have to know Him to trust Him and if you trust Him, you can receieve His love and it is in receiving His Love that you will find your blessings...your treasures!!

And if my thoughts are focused on the good things of God, I can expect to find the good things of God. I will begin to notice them more in my day. My brain will be challenged to be attentive, seeking out the little treasures of God in things around me, in my circumstances and in my relationships.

What are you seeking today? What does your mind focus on? What does your day look like before your feet even hit the floor in the morning? Begin each morning with thanksgiving. Praise God for His Grace and Love that covers you. Ask God to touch your heart, fill it with joy, lead your spirit, control your mind. Capture each thought and choose today whom you will serve for you cannot serve two Masters!

May you think, feel, notice, hear, read, smell, encounter, impact, see, believe all that is good today. God is hiding treasures just for you, have fun looking for them!!

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21

How?

To lift something and then drop it...

To hold something and yet drop it...

Depending on the context, this is crazy or makes perfect sense. You wouldn't want to lift or hold something only to break it moments later. However, if we are talking about "unto God", then it makes perfect sense. One of the hardest things I have had to learn is the art of letting go, releasing, giving in to, surrendering. Maybe it is perfectionism (that I am thankfully not bound by any more but still a tempting habit), the need to be self-controlled, that makes it hard to also be a person of faith. My mind and spirit are in constant strife as I am pulled back and forth between faith and works.

God's desire is our complete surrender to His will, because it is in His perfect will for each of us that He can bless us and He also receives glory to His name. The way, the reason, we surrender will come from our love for Him. It is out of His love for us that we can return love to Him and to others. "We love Him because He first loved us."

So, in my quest to surrender, I must learn to lift up my requests to the Lord and then let them go, allowing God to work all things out according to His purpose, in His timing. Maybe I should sit on my hands so they can stop interferring?! haha

Lord God, Thank You for the simple truth that You love us. You want the very best for Your children so if we can simply surrender our wills, wants and cares, You will provide according to Your plan and purpose. Although I cannot see the how or why of the circumstances I am in, I trust You. Help me to surrender. Lead my steps, taking me out of the way. Hold me close. In Your Son's name I have peace and trust. amen!

A Walk Thru the Valley

Our family is taking a vacation in the mountains this year since we did the beach last year. It is beautiful and majestic. When I have read the scriptures about going through a valley, for some reason I always envision the wide open plains, just below the mountain range much like the picture here. It wasn't until we travelled across Texas thru New Mexico by car that I realized the variety of valleys. Valleys are simply the places that rest at the base of the mountain ranges. It got me to thinking about the different types of valleys we walk through when we walk with God.

The FOREVER VALLEYS: They are deep and wide. Our destination on the other side seems to be a daunting task...nearly impossible. Sometimes we see the mountains so far off it seems impossible to get over there. The vastness of the valley before you is overwhelming and intimidating. There are so many different ways to go, there are plenty of obstacles, exhaustion already sets in simply at the thought of getting to the other side. Even as we begin the journey and stand in the middle, the supreme size of the distance yet to be travelled calls for a miracle. I miracle of patience and endurance and strength. Courage to continue forward not knowing exactly how much longer it will take, not knowing what risk we may encounter on the walk about. It would seem like a miracle to make it to the other side of this valley.

The STRAIGHT & NARROW VALLEY: Unlike the Forever Valley, this narrow valley doesn't offer you much in options. You are headed only one of two ways. There are no shortcuts either because as you look to your left and your right, the massive, rocky structure is too steep to possibly attempt to climb. There is not a lot of danger-you can see where you are headed, it is just a matter of enduring the walk. Beware however, a loose boulder may stumble on your path and you may endure a delay. Fortunately, it is small compared to the mountain and much easier to get past.

Then you have the WINDING & NARROW VALLEY: This valley may be the most exhausting, most frightening and most laborious to travel. See, with the other two valleys, you can see where you are headed, obstacles can be seen most of the time, in advance, and you have a visual on your destination. A winding, twisting and turning valley is full of unknowns and that alone can be terrifying in and of itself for a person to turn back and refuse to take a path of less resistance. With each turn there is a new set of

obstacles, new terrain, new hazards but at the same time, there may be a bridge over an extremely rocky path. A new facet is exposed at each turn and it may may the walk a little easier or it may be very difficult and scary as you round each corner. All this and no destination in sight until you have arrived! You are walking solely by faith, fully aware, in the moment, prepared and equipped for anything that comes your way. This valley is equally as frightening as it is thrilling.

The times in my life where I seem to grow the most is when I am getting through a valley. No matter what type of valley you are walking through to get to your mountaintop, you will need patience, endurance, confidence, courage, faith, trust, hope and joy. If you loose your joy, you loose hope, and if you loose hope, you loose everything else.

No matter what you are facing, equip yourself. First with your armor (Ephesians), salvation being the foundation of your faith, then with truth:

God is Who He says He is-

God can do what He says He can do-

I am who God says I am-

I can do all things through Christ-

God's Word is alive and active in me!

YOU HAVE TO TRUST HIM!!!! You will never trust yourself or someone else to be strong enough to carry you across your valley! You may not ever feel that you can do what is before you, the mountain you need to climb may take a while and yes, it may be difficult and it may be deep and wide, but you will get to the other side. He is faithful to work out all things to His glory and your good (Romans 8:28). But you have to TRUST HIM!!!! Then, at your point of surrender, He will bless you and equip you in the way only HE can, by GRACE, MERCY and LOVE!

GOD LOVES YOU and HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY and TOMORROW!!!! He is the unmovable and unshakable Rock who holds EVERYTHING in the Palm of His hands. AMEN!!!

KEEP WALKING...the other side is AWESOME!!!

It will be an adventure to remember!!