Galatians 5:1

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

I am thankful for freedom! We are free from sin and free from judgement....now we are free to live and free to love.

Psalm 50:15 NLT

Then call on Me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give Me glory."

From The Message selected from Ephesians 2:"

It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in the old stagnant life of sin. ...Now God has us where He wants us, with all the time in the world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all His idea and work. All we do is trust Him enough to let Him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish!"

From the Message selected from Acts 4

".....'Give your servants fearless confidence in preaching Your Message, as You stretched out Your hand to us in healing and miracles, and wonders done in the name of Your Holy servant Jesus.' While they were praying, the place ...trembled and shook. They were ALL filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence."

Psalm 145:5 NKJV

"I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your Majesty, and Your wondrous works."

rest...

"Remember! Remember what God has done for you! Rehearse the story again. Remember who you are!
God NEVER takes His eyes off of us or off the clock ticking over us! HE is sovereign, He is working "this" all out!
Rest! He's GOT IT!"---my friend Aimee

Psalm 37:4

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"
God knows us so well. In His infinite wisdom, He knew that even noble, believing humans would attempt to use Him as a means of getting ahead. Our motive for seeking God is often self-centered. Ideally, he enjoys being sought for the pleasure of His presence. He then delights in allowing the seeker to discover wonderful gains, but, because he knows us so well, He has methods for making the most of our sometimes questionable motives. He allows our greed to lead us on a treasure hunt where we ultimately discover the greatest treasure of all.

Psalm 37:4 is a perfect example-a feel good Scripture if you'll ever find one. God knew we would seek a Scripture promising the desires of our hearts. He also knew our self-seeking approach could lead us to an incomparable treasure. The end result motivates our first approach to Psalm 37:4: "He will give you the desires of your heart." Then the "end" causes us to consider the means: "Delight yourself in the Lord." True to our human form we become attentive to the means so we can reach the end.

We begin to question, "How can I delight myself in the Lord?" We can almost hear Him whisper, "I'm so glad you asked." As we make ourselves available to delight in God, He slowly revolutionizes our approach to finding fulfillment. Those who seek to delight in the Lord will ultimately develop a delightful relationship with Him; however, by the time God makes Himself the seeker's delight, the once self-seeking treasure hunter has been transformed.

Anyone who truly delights in the Lord will one day realize that God has become the desire of her heart. When He is our delight, we begin to want what He wants. We come to trust His best for us. When we struggle with self-seeking desires, we hit our knees in prayer. We become wise enough to ask Him to overrule any desire that would ultimately betray us. We no longer want anything that lacks His approval.

Why is the change of heart so important in the fulfillment of Psalm 37:4? Because hearts that do not delight in the Lord are destructive and deceitful. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure." To be safe, God must transform the heart. Until we learn to delight ourselves in the Lord, we cannot trust the desires of our hearts. What our fleshly hearts want on their own can lead us to make the worst decisions of our lives. Can you remember a time when your heart led you down a destructive path? I certainly can. I want my heart's desire to reflect His desires.

Psalm 37:4 is a transforming Scripture. In our treasure hunt, we discover a new depth of relationship with God, an indescribable delight, and a safety valve for our hearts. Treasures worth hunting-no matter what our original motives may have been.
--Beth Moore

how could I ask for more?...a reminder

There's nothing like the warmth of a summer afternoon
Waking to the sunlight, and being cradled by the moon
Catching fireflies at night
Building castles in the sand
Kissing Mama's face goodnight
Holding Daddy's hand
Thank you Lord, how could I ask for more

Running barefoot through the grass
A little hide and go seek
Being so in love, that you can hardly eat
Dancing in the dark, when there's no one else around
Being bundled 'neath the covers, watching snow
Fall to the ground
Thank you Lord, how could I ask for more

So many things I thought would bring me happiness
Some dreams that are realities today
Such an irony the things that mean the most to me
Are the memories that I've made along the way

So if there's anything I've learned
From this journey I am on
Simple truths will keep you going
Simple love will keep you strong
Cause there are questions without answers
Flames that never die
Heartaches we go through are often blessings in disguise
So thank you Lord, oh thank you Lord
How could I ask for more

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd...

"God alone understands the way to wisdom; He knows where it can be found"--Job 28:23

Psalm 100:3 NCV

Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep he tends.

Gen.12:2 NKJV

"When God spoke to Abram, he obeyed at once. ...Childless he trusted God to make of him a great nation".

Psalm 103:12 (NIV)

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

living the middle...

"I was reading a book the other day (shocking!) and this phrase caught my eye "Don't you go and give up in the middle of the story."

The middle of the story is the hardest part. As a wannabe author, it's the hardest part to write and every creative writing class I've taken has stressed this. It's hard to write the middle.

It's hard to live the middle too. I've always heard that our lives are a story, but I don't think of it that way. I picture our lives as a series of short stories, each one separate but together making a whole. It's easy to look back on individual stories and see how the middle worked to connect the beginning and the end, the invisible spirit of God weaving it's way through the parts and binding it together. That's why they say hindsight is 20/20. Looking back is much easier than looking in the midst."
--Kayla Aimee Terrell (read more on her blog)

take heart and know....

God is in Control - Truth
God is in Control by TRUTH
Does it seem like the world
is chaotically turning
sin and shame unarranged
and, Godly men are adjourning
well our fathers warned that it would come to this.
but just hold your hat and know that the final truth is...
God is in control...
Though Godless men conspire
His will unfolds, Though mortal minds are sometimes left to doubt
His ways are higher, than our ways
So even through the fire...take heart and know...take heart and know...
God is in control
Does it seem...does it seem
Like your world...like your world... is a maze of confusion
do you long for the day..Ooo I wish for the day
when problems meet their solutions
Well I know sometimes life's line feels..unsecure..so unsecure
but the saints who held on before would charge you to rest assured
God is in control...
Though Godless men conspire
His will unfolds, Though mortal minds are sometimes left to doubt
His ways are higher, than our ways
So even through the fire...take heart and know...take heart and know...
God is in control....hey..
His ways are higher...higher than our ways
So even through the fire...
take heart and know...take heart and know...
take heart and know...take heart and know...
take heart and know...take heart and know...
God is in control

God will make a way
Where there is no way;
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me. ---Moen

Once Upon A Time...

Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs....
who arranged a competition.
The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.
A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race
and cheer on the contestants....The race began....
Honestly: No one in the crowd really believed
that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower.
You heard statements such as:"Oh, WAY too difficult!!"
"They will NEVER make it to the top."or...
"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"
The tiny frogs began collapsing.
One by one....
Except for those, who in a fresh tempo,
were climbing higher and higher...
The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!"
More tiny frogs got tired and gave up...
But ONE continued higher and higher and higher...
This one wouldn't give up!
At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower.
Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort,
was the only one who reached the top!
THEN all of the other tiny frogs
naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it?
A contestant asked the tiny frog
how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal?
It turned out....That the winner was DEAF!!!!
The wisdom of this story is:Never listen to other people's
tendencies to be negative or pessimistic....
because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you -- the ones you have in yourheart!
Always think of the power words have.
(There's life and death in the power of the tongue - Proverbs 18:21.)Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions!
Therefore: ALWAYS be.... POSITIVE!
And above all:
Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams!
Always think:God and I can do this!

From The Message selected from 2 Corinthians:

"The Sprit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so we will never settle for less. That's why we live with such good cheer. ...It's what we trust in but don't see that keeps us going. ... Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we aim to do, regardless of our condition. We will appear before Christ and take what is coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad. His love has the first and last word in everything we do."

Come Thou fount of blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace,
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.

all I have is Yours...

one of the most powerful songs i've ever heard
"Job" by Cindy Morgan
lyrics:
Where were you
When my night fell
Pieces shattered everywhere
If I have loved You with my whole heart
Time will tell
Time will tell

Were the stars moving
Across the ocean
Did the world turn away
For just a glance
And leave me here in these ashes
I will weep and I will dance

All I have is Yours
All these ashes and these sores
All that I am living for
I will follow you to shore

Well, I hear your voice
And it sounds angry
I have questioned You time and again
So I'll be here in the silence
Til I can walk, I will stand

All I have is Yours
All these ashes and these sores
All that I'm living for
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You to shore.

Click here to listen: (also on my myspace profile)
http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music.artistalbums&artistid=14057798&ap=0&albumid=8796657

laugh...

Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.
--Bill Cosby

From the Message selected from 1 Corinthians 2:

God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of His purposes. ... It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest- what God determined as the way to bring out the best in us. ...'No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as even imagined anything quite like it -- what God has arranged for those who love Him'. ...The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and bring out what God planned all along. ...God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that He is giving us. ....Spirit can only be known by spirit -- God's Spirit and our spirit in open communion. Spiritually alive we have access to everything God is doing."

The Message selected from 2 Corinthians 7

"Dear friends, let's make a clean break with everything that defiles ordistracts us, both within and without. Let's make our entire lives a fitand holy temple for the worship of God, ...If only you knew how proud Iam of you ! I am overwhelmed with joy despite all our troubles. ...Distress that drives us to God ..turns us around. It gets us in theway of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain."

"Our Father knows what's best for us...."

Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord

To see His face, this is my goal,
The deepest longing of my soul;
Through storm and stress I'll trace
'Til satisfied I see His face.

John 15:9-17 (The Message)

9-10"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.
11-15"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.
16"You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
17"But remember the root command: Love one another.

"We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes."
-- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

(and thanks for the shout out for my mama, Tam! :) )

In Memory of Lori's Mother

Of all the earthly things God gives
There's one above all others;
It's the precious priceless gift
Of loving Christian mothers. ---Anon

Thank you, God!

"OH, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deedsamong the peoples! Sing to Him, sing songs to Him; talk of all Hiswondrous works ! Glory in His Holy Name; let the hearts of those rejoicewho seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His faceevermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wondersand the judgments of His mouth." 1 Chronicles 16:8-12 NKJV

on hope...

"Expect to have hope rekindled.
Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways.
The dry seasons in life do not last.
The spring rains will come again."
-- Sarah Ban Breathnach

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

I Peter 1:6-9

Rest...

The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 (NLT)

O start anew!
You are the One who has brought our Lord Jesus Christ
again to life from the dead;
You are the One who by your summoning imperative
has caused the worlds to be;
You are the One who by your faithfulness
has given a son to our vexed mother Hannah;
You are the One who has the will and power to begin again,
to start anew.
You are the only self-starter whose name we know.
And so we bid you, start again,
start here, start now,
start with us and with our school (church, city, country. . . .),
start with your mercy,
and with your justice,
and with your compassion,
and with your peace.
Make the world new again,
and young again, and innocent again. . .Start. . . before it is too late.
Amen.
On reading I Samuel 1 on Feb. 4, 1999
Brueggemann, Walter. Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann. Ed. Edwin Searcy. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003. 111.

Be Still...

Be still, MY MUSCLES, and know God's RELAXATION.
Be still, MY NERVES, and know God's REST.
Be still, MY HEART, and know God's QUIETNESS.
Be still, MY BODY, and know God's RENEWAL.
Be still, MY MIND, and know God's PEACE.

Wisdom

Knowledge is proud that she knows so much;
Wisdom is humble that she knows no more.
- Cowper

triumph!

“In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and He answered me by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is with me; He is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.” Psalm 118:5-7 (NIV)

just to pump you up a bit....

From The Message selected from Matt. 6

When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, Who conceived you in love --- working behind the scenes helps you out. ... Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with what ever hard things come up when the time comes.

promises...

"God has not promised that life will always be easy or pleasant. He has not promised to give us everything we want...What we can be sure of is that God is good and He loves us. Our circumstances are a part of God's working out His purposes for our eternal good. He has promised He will never leave us nor forsake us in the midst of all His work."
--Jennifer A. Marshall in now and not yet

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see,
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me.

oh yeah....I forgot....

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)

"So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."

"The God of peace will be with you." Phil.4:9 NKJV

"...When a tragedy occurs ---our fear, worry and trust in God fluctuateas we wait, we pray, we grieve and wonder what the Lord will do. It is natural for us to be fearful in a storm (literal or figurative). The disciples had Jesus right in there boat with them, yet they were afraid(Matt.8:23-27). He used the calming of the storm as a lesson to show them who He was --- a powerful God who cared for them. We wish that Jesus would always calm the storms of our life as He calmed the storm forthe disciples. But we can find a moment of peace when we are anchored to the truth that He's in the boat with us and He cares." ---Anne Cetas

"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
Christopher Robin to Pooh

one day at a time, sweet Jesus.....

one of the best versions I've heard...

James 4:10 NIV

"Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up."

here and now...

The mystery of God is not in what is going to be-it is now, though we look for it to be revealed in the future in some overwhelming, momentous event.
"Let not your heart be troubled . . ." ( John 14:1, 27 ). Am I then hurting Jesus by allowing my heart to be troubled? . If I believe in Jesus and His attributes, am I living up to my belief? Am I allowing anything to disturb my heart, or am I allowing any questions to come in which are unsound or unbalanced?
I have to get to the point of the absolute and unquestionable relationship that takes everything exactly as it comes from Him. God never guides us at some time in the future, but always here and now. Realize that the Lord is here now, and the freedom you receive is immediate.--Oswald Chambers

Characterization

"All people have three characters, that which they exhibit, that which they are, and that which they think they are." - Alphonse Karr

A word from Teddy...

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
- Theodore Roosevelt

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28 (NAS)

When in doubt, create your own Chicken Soup

Chicken Meatball Soup
Three large Sweet Onions
1lb Carrots
Olive Oil
2 Large Cans of Chicken Broth
1 pound Ground Chicken
1/2 tsp soup and 1/4 tsp in meatballs Parsley
1/2 tsp in both soup and meatballs Sage
1/2 tsp in soup Rosemary
1/4 tsp in meatballs 1/2 tsp in soup Thyme
1/4 tsp in both the soup and the meatballs Chipolte Pepper
1 tsp Chicken Base
Mini Bow Tie Pasta

Dice three large sweet onions and caramelize them in a soup pan with olive oil. Peel and slice thinly one pound of carrots. Add to the pot with the caramelized onions. When the onions have reached their maximum doneness without going too far, fill the pot with two large cans of chicken broth.

Make chicken meatballs with ground chicken and parsley, sage, thyme, and chipolte pepper. Mix the seasonings well and then form into tiny meatballs. Add to the soup once the broth has begun to boil.

Also, add Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Chipolte pepper, and chicken base to the soup mix.

Cook on simmer until the carrots are cooked through.

Return the soup to boil and add mini bow tie pasta. Boil according to pasta directions then return the soup to simmer and serve.

Philippians 4: 4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

True Love

"But anyone who does not love does not know God -- for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (1 John 4:8-10 NLT)

waiting....

"So many times I've begged God to finally reach down from heaven and move, speak, act, shine a light on my path. But so often when I go to him with my questions and restlessness, he doesn't reveal anything instantly. Yes, he brings hope, he renews my faith, and he gives me strength to keep going.

But in that gentle, quiet voice, he also speaks the words I've heard over and over again … my daughter, wait.

And so I do. And as the years pass by, I'm finally beginning to realize it's in these seasons of waiting and being still before God, pouring out my heart before him, that he does some of his greatest work. It's in the desert, the wilderness, the quietness that God can restore hope and vision and deepen my character. It's in waiting that I get to know God's heart more intimately and finally begin to realize he is my life."
--Sherry Funk in Christianity Today: the Single Connection

hope...

"---hope is not about proving anything. It's about choosing to believe this one thing, that love is bigger than any grim, bleak shit anyone can throw at us."--Anne Lamott

Tequila and Salt

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day.
1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2.At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

And always remember.... when life hands you Lemons, ask for Tequila and Salt and call me... over!

God Remembers:

God remembered Noah, ..and all the animals that were with him.Gen 8:1.
God remembered Hannah when she prayed for a son. 1Sam. 1:19
God remembers wherever we are. Our pain is His pain.
Commit your challenges and difficulties to Him. He is the all seeing God who waits to meet our needs.

He has already taken care of tomorrow...

Just remember he's not worried about tomorrow because he has already worked that out. He's inviting you to live with him in the joy of the moment, respond to what he puts right before you. The freedom to simply follow him that way will transform so many areas of your life. He loves you...and he wants you to live in the security of that, without having to figure everything out.

So You Don't Want Go to Church Anymore p78 Jacobsen and Coleman

because He lives...

"instead of focusing on what you don't have...focus on what you DO have: a coming blessing out of a recent loss...."
-Joel Hunter, Northland's Easter Service

in this darkness, love will show the way....

SHOW THE WAY by David Wilcox

You say you see no hope, you say you see no reason
We should dream that the world would ever change
You're saying love is foolish to believe
'Cause there'll always be some crazy with an Army or a Knife
To wake you from your day dream, put the fear back in your life...

Look, if someone wrote a play just to glorify
What's stronger than hate, would they not arrange the stage
To look as if the hero came too late he's almost in defeat
It's looking like the Evil side will win, so on the Edge
Of every seat, from the moment that the whole thing begins
It is...

Chorus:
Love who makes the mortar
And it's love who stacked these stones
And it's love who made the stage here
Although it looks like we're alone
In this scene set in shadows
Like the night is here to stay
There is evil cast around us
But it's love that wrote the play...
For in this darkness love can show the way

So now the stage is set. Feel you own heart beating
In your chest. This life's not over yet.
so we get up on our feet and do our best. We play against the
Fear. We play against the reasons not to try
We're playing for the tears burning in the happy angel's eyes
For it's...

The price of guilt...

We can't love what we fear. You can't foster a relationship with someone who is always checking your performance to make sure it's adequate enough to merit his friendship. The more you focus on your own needs and failures, the more distant Father will seem to you. Guilt does that. It shoves us away from God in our time of need, instead of allowing us to run to him, presenting our greatest failures and questions so that we might receive his mercy and grace.

Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman

amen and amen....

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. ~Robert Flatt

Today's Truth

"You are precious and honored in my sight..." (Isaiah 43:4a, NIV).

Great philosophy!

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car backed out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. He was really friendly.

So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.' He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning withregrets, so... Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!Have a blessed, garbage-free day.

Soul Alignment

"If you meet someone whose soul is not aligned with yours, send them love and move along."
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

thankfully....

"...the way I see things, God loves you the same whether you're being elegant or not. It feels better when you are, but even when you can't fake it, God still listens to your prayers. "--Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies

Praise God!

I will cause you to walk in the straight way...
I will open to you the gates of righteousness..
For whoever finds Me, finds life
- Psalm 118:19; Proverbs. 8: 35-6

Grace....

Grace is the force that infuses our lives and keeps letting us off the hook. It is unearned love--the love that goes before, that greets us on the way. It's the help you recieve when you have no bright ideas left, when you are empty and desperate and have discovered that your best thinking and most charming charm have failed you. Grace is the light or electricity or juice or breeze that takes you from that isolated place and puts you with others who are as startled and embarrassed and eventually grateful as you are to be there.
-Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies

You are Beautiful!

People often say that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder,' and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves. - Salma Hayek

embrace delicious ambiguity

"I always wanted a happy ending... Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity." --Gilda Radner

What do you see?

A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe, from "Faust"

Voice of love quote...

"You are so loved and adored. If you only knew how loved you were, you would never fear again."

Yes, Lord...yes, Lord...yes, yes, Lord!

I'll go where You want me to go, dearLord,
O'er mountain or plain or sea;
I'll say what You want me to say, dearLord,
I'll be what You want me to be. ---Brown

whew!

The truth is visible through the cracks in broken people.

It's the cracked ones who let all the light into the world.

--unknown

Zephaniah 3:17, NIV

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing"

It's in his hands...

When we know that God's hand is in everything,
We can leave everything in His hands.

this is why God gives us each other...

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. II Cor. 9:8

HEY! Remember...

GOD'S GOT YA!

Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most...We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. - Marianne Williamson, American author and lecturer

me too

Some of the most comforting words in the universe are “me too.” That moment when you find out that your struggle is also someone else’s struggle, that you’re not alone, and that others have been down the same road. --- Rob Bell

"We in our faith work, stumble along toward where we think we're supposed to go, bumbling along, and here is what's so amazing---we end up getting exactly where we're supposed to be." ---Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies

Joy!

"Joyful believers have no trouble convincing people around them that Christianity is real and that Christ can transform a life. JOY is the flag that flies above the castle of their hearts, announcing that the KING is in residence." (Author unknown)

Colossians 3 (The Message)

"Look up, and be alert to whatever is going on around Christ--- that'swhere the action is. See things from His perspective. ...Chosen by Godfor this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you:compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be eventempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgiveas quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. ...Let the peaceof Christ keep you in tune with each other ... cultivate thankfulness.Let the Word of Christ --the Message -- have the run of the house. ..Instruct and direct one another using common sense. SING your heart outto God... Thanking God the Father every step of the way."

He is with us!

"Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matt. 28:20 NKJV"Our Lord is with us no matter what each day brings. It may be a day ofjoy or of sadness, of sickness or of health, of success or failure. Nomatter what happens to us today, our Lord is walking beside us,strengthening us, loving us, filling us with faith, hope and love. As Heenvelopes us with quiet serenity and security, our foes, afflictions anddoubts begin to recede. We can bear up in any circumstance because weknow the Lord is at hand. Practice God's presence stopping in the midstof your busy day to say to yourself,'The Lord is here' and pray that youwill see Him who is invisible and see Him everywhere." -----DavidRoper

There really is something up there! ;)

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”
Benjamin Spock

"Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that the right thoughts and right efforts inevitably bring about right results." --James Allen

Never compromise yourself....you are all you've got. --Janis Joplin

Yep...

The is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will. -Epictetus

Remember...

You're Special

You're special. In all the world there is nobody like you.

Since the beginning of time, there there has never been another person like you. Nobody has your smile. Nobody has your eyes, your nose, your hair, your hands, your voice. You're special.

No one can be found who has your handwriting.

Nobody anywhere has your tastes - for food or music or art. No one sees things as you do.

In all of time there has been no one who laughs like you, no one who cries like you. And what you laugh and cry will never provoke identical laughter and tears from anybody else, ever.

No one reacts to any situation just as you would react. You're special.

You're the only one in all of creation who has your set of abilities. Oh, there will always be somebody who is better at one of things you're good at, but no one in the universe can reach the quality of your combination of talents, ideas, abilities and feelings. Like a room full of musical instruments, some may excel alone, but none can match the symphony sound when all are played together. You're a symphony.

Through all of eternity no one will ever look, talk, walk, think, or do like you. You're special. You're rare.

And, as in all rarity, there is great value.

Because of your great rare value, you need not attempt to imitate others. You will accept - yes, celebrate - your differences.

You're special. And you're beginning to realize it's no accident that you're special. You're beginning to see that God made you special for a very special purpose. He must have a job for you that no one else can do as well as you. Out of all the billions of applicants, only one is qualified, only one has the right combination of what it takes.

That one is you. Because...You're special.

--unknown

It's all good!

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20, NIV).

Rejoice...

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive. -- Eleonora Duse

Colossians 3:16-17 (NIV)

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

anytime I don't know what to do.....

Cast all my Cares Upon You - Kids Praise and Worship

I cast all my cares upon you
I lay all of my burdens down at your feet
and anytime I don't know what to do
I will cast all my cares upon you

Nothing is impossible...

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there" and it will move. Nothing will be impossible to you. - Matthew 17:20

which is it?

Life is either a great adventure or nothing. --Helen Keller

Lead the way

"The cliff edge of our anxiety about the future may indicate that God is calling us to a new and different level of faith. When we walk, praying for guidance, to the edge of all the light we have and breathlessly take that first step into the foggy mystery of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen: either God will provide us with something rock-solid to stand on, or He will teach us how to fly." Lucy Shaw from The Crime of Living Cautiously. Shared by Adalee Lewis

Time to Jump

Grandma was living in the single wide mobile home that mom and dad had at Crystal River since we were children when a freak storm came through. The area ended up being flooded. They came to rescue Grandma in a dump truck that she could walk right out of the mobile home and into. The problem wasn't getting into the vehicle that would rescue her it was how in the world was she going to get out? One of her biggest fears had always been that if she fell no one would be able to pick her up because she is so large. With all of the fear of the moment and all of the fear of her being too heavy for anyone to help, she discovered that the only way she was going to get out of that dump truck was to jump into the arms of a guy waiting below her. He promised he would not drop her. She really couldn't believe that he actually could catch her. She had to jump and trust him at his word. Of course, neither God, nor the man who bravely reached out his arms for her, let her down. I think it is time to jump. He won't let us fall.

"If You Want Me To" --Ginny Owens

From the Message selected from Romans 8:

"God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are .... If we go through the hard times with Him, then we are certainly going to go through the good times with Him! That's why I don't think there is any comparison between the hard times and the coming good times. ...The Spirit of God is arousing us within. ...We are enlarged in the waiting. ...The longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. ..God knew what He was doing from the beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity He restored."

plans...ha!

"God was most show-offy when things didn't go according to my plans, which was approximately ninety percent of the time."--Anne Lamott, Grace:Eventually: Thoughts on Faith


"In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9 NIV

letting go...

"To let go isn’t to forget, not to think about, or ignore. It doesn’t leave feelings of anger, jealousy, or regret. Letting go isn’t about winning or losing. It’s not about pride and it’s not about how you appear, and it’s not obsessing or dwelling on the past. Letting go isn’t blocking memories or thinking sad thoughts, and doesn’t leave emptiness, hurt, or sadness. It’s not about giving in or giving up. Letting go isn’t about loss and it’s not about defeat. To let go is to cherish the memories, but to overcome and move on. It is having an open mind confidence in the future. Letting go is learning and experiencing and growing. To let go is to be thankful for the experiences that made you laugh, made you cry, and made you grow. It’s about all that you have, all that you had, and all that you will soon gain. Letting go is having the courage to accept change, and the strength to keep moving. Letting go is growing up. It is realizing that the heart can sometimes be the most potent remedy. To let go is to open a door, and to clear a path and set yourself free."
-unknown
(found this on Kara's blog today)

Psalm 46

A Song of the Sons of Korah 1-3

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
the tremors that shift mountains.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city,
this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
but Earth does anything he says.

7 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

moving on....

there's always hope.

Dream On

“Yes, I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can find his way by moonlight, and see the dawn before the rest of the world.” - Oscar Wilde

whatever....

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)

I choose God...

"When you choose Faith rather than doubt, Peace over pain, Joy instead of suffering, you are living with the Holy Spirit." Voice of Love

I thank my God everytime I remember you....

Philippians 1:6 The Message
There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

Psalm 97:10-12 (The Message)

When the righteous see God in action
they'll laugh, they'll sing,
they'll laugh and sing for joy.
Sing hymns to God;
all heaven, sing out;
clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider.
Enjoy GOD,
cheer when you see him!

Abundance of God

God’s gifts put man’s best dreams to shame. - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

don't worry about tomorrow, He's got it under control....

"So never worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:34

Isaiah 54:10 (The Message)

9-10"This exile is just like the days of Noah for me: I promised then that the waters of Noah would never again flood the earth.I'm promising now no more anger, no more dressing you down. For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, My love won't walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won't fall apart." The God who has compassion on you says so.

that's all...

"Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10)

Teach Me To Dance

Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart,
Teach me to move to the pow'r of your Spirit,
Teach me to walk in the light of your presence,
Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart.

Teach me to love with your heart of compassion,
Teach me to trust in the word of your promise
Teach me to hope in the day of your coming
Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart.

You wrote the rhythm of life,
created heaven and earth,
in you is joy without measure.
So, like a child in your sight,
I dance to see your delight,
For I was made for your pleasure,
pleasure.

Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart...
Teach me to love with your heart of compassion...

Let all my movements express
A heart that loves to say 'yes',
A will that leaps to obey you.
Let all my energy blaze
To see the joy in your face;
Let me whole being praise you.
Praise you.

Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart...
Teach me to love with your heart of compassion...

Graham Kendrick and Steve Thompson

I will dance for you my Lord,
I will dance. I will dance each dance like it's
the last dance I will ever dance.

Peninah Kizza African Children's Choir

Proverbs 3:5-6

just a couple reminders...

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."
~Helen Keller


"Don't refuse to go on an occasional wild goose chase--that's what wild geese are for."
~unknown

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting ---
over and over announcing
your place in the family of things.
from Dream Work by Mary Oliver published by Atlantic Monthly Press

God, my God....

Romans 8 The Message

22-25All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.
26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
29-30God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
31-39So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

From Our Daily Bread

"While we often think in terms of occupation and location, perhaps a more important issue is one of character--the being that undergirds the doing. Lord, who do You want me to be? Be humble, be gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Oswald Chambers said, 'Consecration is not giving over of the calling in life to God but the separation from all other calling and giving over ourselves to God, letting His providence place us where He will.'

...When we are right people before God, we can do whatever He asks us and wherever He puts us." David Mc Casland

You are called with a holy calling

The light of the world to be;

To lift up the lamp of the gospel

That others the light might see.

--Anon

It's not what you do but who you are that is important

hang in there...

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. ~Harriet Beecher Stowe

My faith is like shifting sand, so I stand on grace....

"Shifting Sand" by Caedmon's Call
Sometimes I believe all the lies
So I can do the things I should despise
And every day I am swayed
By whatever is on my mind

I hear it all depends on my faith
So I'm feeling precarious
The only problem I have with these mysteries
Is they're so mysterious

And like a consumer I've been thinking
If I could just get a bit more
More than my 15 minutes of faith,
Then I'd be secure

(Chorus)
My faith is like shifting sand
Changed by every wave
My faith is like shifting sand
So I stand on grace

I've begged you for some proof
For my Thomas eyes to see
A slithering staff, a leprous hand
And lions resting lazily

A glimpse of your back-side glory
And this soaked altar going ablaze
But you know I've seen so much
I explained it away

Chorus

Waters rose as my doubts reigned
My sand-castle faith, it slipped away
Found myself standing on your grace
It'd been there all the time

How Much Can You Love?

How Much Can You Love?by Diannia Baty
Can you love enough to honor the differences and not compare?Can you love enough to forgive another?Can you love enough to find some way to be of service to others?Can you love enough to be grateful for everything?Can you love enough not to hate?Can you love enough to feed a hungry creature?Can you love enough to give away what you do not need?Can you love enough to give comfort to someone?Can you love enough not to sow negativity?Can you love the earth enough to take care of it?Can you love enough to tell another about God?Can you love enough to see God in everyone?
Can you love enough to be generous with your time?Can you love enough to be joyful for being alive?Can you love enough that you are grateful you have sight and can read this?Can you love enough to hug and praise someone today?Can you love yourself enough to try and be healthy and give up unhealthy habits?
Can you love enough to gently teach another?Can you love enough not to communicate with anger in your heart?Can you love enough that you can’t contain it and let it spill over to all.Can you love enough to be a good steward of all your gifts and talents?Can you love yourself and God enough to pray or meditate today?Can you love God enough to say “I love you?”Can you love yourself enough to be kind to you today?Can you love enough to remember that love is everything and is of God?
Can you remember Love?Will you remember to Love?