The "S" Word

Not the "S" word you're thinking about, but this one is just as bad to many of our young children if we have trained them to think so.  STUPID...yep, that "S" word.

Well, as I was starting my work day I decided to quickly look over the Proverb and Psalm for today and was struck by the 1st verse in Proverb 12. 

"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." (Proverb 12:1)

So, where does that put you!?!  I know it hits me square between the eyes. 

I, as a human, do stupid things a lot, even when I try so hard not to.  But, the key is to recognize when you've done that and ask forgiveness from the person or people you may have wronged by your stupidity.  Confess it to God knowing and being very thankful that you are already forgiven by His blood that was shed on the cross long before you were on this earth acting stupid.  Then, move on!  Don't dwell on it.  Take the correction and discipline you rightfully deserve...learn from it...grow...and move on.

More Proverbs du jour...

"The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them." (Proverb 12:6)

"A man is praised according to his wisdom, but men with warped minds are despised." (Proverb 12:8)

"An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble."  (Proverb 12:13)

"From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him."  (Proverb 12:14)

"A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult."  (Proverb 12:16)

"A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly." (Proverb 12:23)

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up."  (Proverb 12:25)

I left out some really good ones...just go read all of Proverb 12...and read a chapter of Proverbs a day (by the date that matches the number of the chapter)...you'll really like it!

And, then to top it all off...when I read Psalm 12 today...it continued with the theme of stupid speech and lying and all.  But, what stood out most to me was the 6th verse...

"And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times."  (Psalm 12:6)

Our Lord's words are flawless and pure words! 

He knows we make stupid mistakes even when we thought we had already learned that lesson and were standing firm.  "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!"  (1 Corinthian 10:12)  And, He has already forgiven us and provided a way for us to "shake it off" and move on...just pray for Him to show you that way and when you see it...take it!  "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."  (1Corinthians 10:13)

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  (Colossians 4:6)

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."  (Psalm 19:14)

May your words today be "seasoned with salt", "full of grace", and pleasing to the Lord as well as to those around you. 

Comic Relief courtesy of Easter

Ok, Easter is really a serious and holy time of year...and I in no way am intending to make any fun of Easter.  However, Easter is also a time when families and friends get together to enjoy special quality time in each others' presence.  And, of course, we all know that at any large gathering of said family and friends there is always the potential for, well, ANYTHING to happen.  And, of course, with my family...that is usually what happens!  But, THIS Easter, was even more memorable thanks to a couple of consecutive events that are the kind that you basically just have to laugh at - at least looking back on it now - because it is truly much better than the alternative.

So...I should have known we were in for the start of a potentially eventful time when the first thing happened that should have clued me in.  At the time, it seemed like no big deal, even a potential tragedy that was quickly avoided.  But, looking back, I see that it was Event 1 of 3, as minute as it was in and of itself.

So...Event 1...As we were walking through my grandfathers driveway toward his house, my husband briefly lost step with me.  Not figuratively, literally.  I glanced back and said, "What happened?" as he was just about a step behind now.  "I just stepped on that little piece of a tree limb and almost twisted my ankle."  My response, "Ouch, that would have hurt.  Glad it didn't happen."  And we kept walking.  Potential accident diverted.

A few minutes later...I had not even sat my purse down inside the house yet...Event 2...My husband comes toward me with this Deer-in-the-headlights look on his face (not common to him...he's usually very calm, cool, collected, & assured in his outward appearance) and he manages to say, "Your aunt...she just fell..." and he is kind of pointing toward the front yard area.  Though I have not done actual patient care in over 3 years, my ICU / Trauma Nurse instincts did miraculously kick in.  I remained calm, as you have to do in any such situations, and I quickly headed outside.  There was my precious 69 year old aunt lying on the sidewalk surrounded by family and blood...literally, just below her on the sidewalk was a large amount of her blood and it was still dripping down from her face.  Anyway, so I came up and just started talking to her as I started looking at the areas of her faced that were bleeding.  She was thankfully very alert and in very good spirits.  As I uncovered her forehead, I saw a very large gash that I knew without question would need stitches.  I also saw a couple of other smaller cuts that were bleeding, as well as some bruising on her cheek.  So, I instructed someone to call 911 (emergency response) and get them to come take her and get her cleaned up, stitched up, and checked out.  They called.  In the mean time, we were all out there together visiting as I was standing there holding pressure to these bleeding spots on her face.  Mind you, there are still many people slowly arriving to join our family Easter affair.  My lovely aunt got to meet her brother's new wife for the first time as she (my aunt) was sitting here in this disjointed state on the sidewalk.  The new wife I mentioned is a precious lady who JUST moved here from Malaysia!  What a way to meet for the first time!  Anyway, soon the ambulance and another emergency vehicle arrived and they took over assessing and caring for her as well as strapping her to the stretcher and loading her in the ambulance.  During that time, another cousin and her family arrived to only be able to say hi to her as she was rolling away on the stretcher waving at us all.  Mind you, this cousin that had just arrived did see the ambulance headed toward the house as she and her family were driving toward our street.  And, she was hoping this emergency vehicle visit was merely the result of one of those 911 calls that one of our youngest family members has been known to make now that she learned to use the phone.  But, of course, that was not the case this time.  Thankfully, we all remained calm and there was no major harm done to my aunt in this situation.  (Later we were told that she did get stitches and she does have a broken nose, but all CT Scans and X-rays turned out otherwise benign.  In other words, no brain injury nor spinal injury.  Those are my main concerns.And, by the way, she did not trip on the tree limb that my husband had stepped on.  She just lost her footing on the sidewalk while walking and talking like we ladies do so well.)  Oh, yeah, and another cousin informed me that during this whole scene, my 4 year old son (who was watching through the front glass door) told my aunt's 40+ year old son "It's okay.  She will be okay.  My mommy's a nurse in a hos-pi-tal.  She is the best!"  Awww....

Ok...so where's the comic relief in all of that!?!  Well, there's more...

Then, only a few minutes after the ambulance left...Event 3...My cousin (yes I do have a bunch of cousins, but this one is the same one that arrived with her family at the same time the ambulance did) anyway, my cousin was in the kitchen stirring something and her feet were getting tired in her Easter Sunday heels, so she had propped her knee up on the padded seat of one of the kitchen chairs.  Next thing I know, somebody's coming to get me to look at her leg!  Mind you...I do not take care of patients anymore...they are really giving me a run for my money here!!!  Anyway, I go into the kitchen and my mother is handing my cousin a ziploc bag of pecans from the freezer to put on her leg.  Apparently the chair under her knee gave way and the seat fell through.  She had a pretty bad bruise on her shin but no bleeding nor swelling at the time.  Again, we all visited and joked as she sat there with it propped up on another one of those chairs.  Things soon calmed down, and though she was hurting, it didn't seem to be that bad.  Until later, after we had left, I found out that she, too, had gone to the Emergency Room!!!!  It apparently started swelling and getting red and warm.  They checked her out and it was not broken or anything, so they just treated her and let her go home.

Soooo.....Like I said in the beginning...none of this was outright funny at the time, though everyone remained calm and in our family's normal good spirits about it all the whole time.

The comic relief comes as you look back on it and, like I said, with the whole day's events in mind, you just have to laugh!  I know, I know, you may not see it that way, but you know you have had the same kind of days in your life with your family or friends or just yourself...when you know all is ultimately okay...just laugh...it's okay...and it truly is usually much better than the alternative. 

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,"  Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4

Love...

Love...

Are you thinking I am on the wrong holiday?  No, I know Valentine's Day has already passed and is not coming up this weekend.  I know, I know...tomorrow is Good Friday and this coming Sunday is Easter.

So, why "Love..."

What do you think Good Friday and Easter are all about!?!  No...not a day off of work and a long weekend (some don't get that luxury, by the way).  Not a time to go buy a new outfit to wear so everybody can see how nice you and your children look.  Not "just another day or weekend" for those of you who do not go to church or do not ascribe to Christianity, or maybe even any religion for that matter.  True...all of the above are often associated with Good Friday and Easter.  I am not bashing any of them, but I am just pointing out that none of them are the real reason for Easter.

So...back to "Love..."

I do love to get a thoughtful gift from my husband, no matter what the occasion (or non-occasion) may be.  Honestly, I even loved it the time he had our son carry a birthday card over to me (in front of my entire family...parents, siblings, etc.) and as I read it, I just had to crack up!  It basically was written as if it was from a young son to his mother, though it was intended to be from my husband to me!!!  Of course, he did not realize that when he picked it up off of the shelf...and his screener (my brother) fell down on his job as well, obviously!  Regardless...it really brought joy to me.  It made me and all of us in the room have a really good laugh!  And, a memory to share here a couple of years later.

But, back to the thoughtful gift, the token of Love...

As I am reading John 17 this week, I am so touched by the love Jesus expresses for us as He prays for us in this entire chapter of John.  Moreso, I have been struck by something I never really thought of before...

Over and over again, He mentions how His then disciples as well as all who would come to believe in Him throughout eternity, all of us were given TO Him by His Father...WE are gifts of Love given from the Father to His Son.  AND...HE is our Father's ultimate Gift of Love to US!!!  He loves us so much that He gave us His Son and the brutal death of His Son on the cross (as is commemorated by Good Friday) as well as His Resurrection (as is commemorated by Easter Sunday).

But back to Me and You, as believers (or soon-to-be believers, for some of you), being gifts TO Him!!!  That's the part I've never really thought much about.  Just think about it...a gift (Me / You) is (are) very special to both the GIVER (God) and the RECIPIENT (Jesus).  The Giver puts great thought and consideration into selecting and often even handmaking the gift (which God did when He created us) and is very much excited to see the joy the gift will bring to the Recipient.  The Recipient, of course, is made to feel very special and loved when receiving such a special gift.  You and I are that gift to Jesus!!!  We bring Him that joy and make Him feel special, as well as God our Father who gave us to His Son and created us for Him!  WOW!!! Does that not just blow your mind!?!  Yes, you are THAT special!  Believe it!  And, of course, like I said before...He (Jesus) is that Gift to us, from our Father who loves us so much He gave us His Son as a Gift/Token of His love for us! 

Now, THAT's Love...

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." - Jesus (John 17:20-26)

Forget the ladybug...gimme the dirt!

This morning has been a beautiful time of enjoying the nice weather while sitting on the back screen porch in the wicker chair with the comfy pillows.  Bird watching, eating breakfast and drinking hot tea with my precious 4-year-old son who was sitting in the other big comfy wicker chair doing the same. 

He LOVES ladybugs!  And they seem to love him, too.  Seems there is always one somewhere near him...they even mysteriously find him in the house.  He tries to trap them sometimes so they won't fly away.  Other times he has one crawling on his shirt as he walks around the house.  They are his "buddies".  And he "wuvs" them, as he says.  He has even said that the ladybug is his "best friend".

So, while he was playing with one on the porch this morning, he spotted another even bigger one.  As he was trying to catch that one, it managed to crawl in the tiny space between the planks of the floor of the porch, and then it made its way outside of our screened-in area via its little tiny space.  He was soooo disappointed.  He wanted to catch his ladybug friend, but it had gotten away.  So, now he wanted to go outside and catch it, since he could still see it.  Now, he was still in his cute striped pajamas and socks.  So...I convinced him that he had to change clothes and put on shoes before he could go trampling around outside trying to catch it.  (I know, I know...I'm a bummer of a mom!)  ;)  Anyway, with his new goal in mind, he ran to his room with me and we found him some play clothes and his "favorite, cool blue tennis shoes" (that are really almost too small for him now).  We got him all dressed for the task at hand...all the while I knew what would soon be coming that he had forgotten about, hence why I made him get fully dressed in play clothes.

Then, just as we came back out on the porch and he was making his way down the steps into the back yard to go catch his ladybug (who was now no longer visible...but he was determined!)...I alerted him to what was off in the not-too-far-off distance in the back yard...Pops (my father-in-law) had his truck backed up with a trailer FULL of DIRT being emptied right there in our back yard!!!!  A boy's dream!!! 

What ladybug!?!  The little man went running full force straight to the mountain of dirt!!!  "Pops, this is sooo cool!!!", he was yelling over and over as he ran.  WOW!  And, of course he dove in head first!  Then he proceeded to climb up one side and dive down the other riding on his belly all the way.  Then, he climbed back up to the tip-top and stood with his arms out to his sides, wind blowing his jacket in the air (picture the scene from Titanic) and he yelled over and over, "I'm the King of the Mountain!  Everybody see me!?!" 

What a hey-day!  Fun times!  And to think...if he wouldn't have listened to me, he might have stayed focused on that little ladybug and missed the whole thing...at least for that moment.  (And it's supposed to rain a good bit later, so really, this might be his one chance for the day to play in the fresh dirt.)

You see, I knew all of the above was in the plans for the day.  I knew the big picture all along.  Therefore, I guided him carefully in when and how to get dressed as well as what to pay attention to at just the right time.  I let him enjoy his little ladybug for the time he needed to, but when I knew something better was coming soon, I prepared him at just the right time for it.  Then, when it arrived, I made sure to direct him to it so that he could enjoy every minute possible of it.

Though I am in no way comparing myself to God, this scenario is much like what He does for us, His children.  He knows the BIG picture...He is the one who not only knows all of the plans, but has made them.  He knows what we love, what excites us, what refreshes us, what we need, what we want...He created us with all of those desires and emotions.  He also knows what can ultimately hurt us that seems good for the moment, and even what is good and okay for the moment but may cause us to miss out on a much bigger blessing and joy if we don't follow His redirection at just the right time.  We often kick and scream when He tries to redirect us from what we think is best for us, like my son could have done (and often would have done)...but thankfully for him, this time, he didn't...all he had to do was turn his eyes a few inches in a different direction and...OH, MAN!...A MOUNTAIN OF DIRT!!!  Same goes with us...just a few inches of adjustment in our view and...OH, MAN!...blessings beyond our wildest dreams!!!!  Ones He knew and planned all along for us, and even gently, secretly prepared us for all along as well.  But ones we were completely oblivious to until they are right there in front of our eyes! 

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

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."  (Proverbs 19:21)

"But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations."  (Psalm 33:11)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  (Jeremiah 29:11)

"Let him not deceive himself by trusting in what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return."  (Job 15:31)

"He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare."  (Psalm 40:3-5)

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture."  (Psalm 37:3)

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

"Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD." (Proverbs 16:20)

"He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe."  (Proverbs 28:26)

"Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?"  (Isaiah 2:22)

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."  (Isaiah 30:21)

There I go again...getting carried away with His word!  Hope you were encouraged and maybe even convicted by some or all of the above, as I am. 

I know that I was meant to share this, because I have this nasty little computer bug that only rears its head every once in a while...and it did several times while I was trying to copy and paste those verses.  The first time, my heart sunk for a second because I thought I had lost ALL of the stuff above the verses!  And then as I was beginning to try to retype it, I remembered that Blogger has this wonderful "Autosave" that creates a draft for you throughout your typing!  Thank God for Autosave!  I merely had to come back in and edit the last draft that was saved to complete the post.  And...I figured a way around that little bug!  ;)

So...can't wait to hear what He is speaking to each of your hearts through this lesson in ladybugs and dirtpiles!

Guess I better go do some constructive things around the house now...and mentally prepare myself for the inevitable DIRT BATH of the 4 year old!  HaHa!  Maybe Daddy or Pops will take that one on for me!  We'll see...

Requirements or Necessities!?!

Lately I have allowed myself to get caught up in various things going on in my life.  Some are necessities...some are requirements...some are both...some are neither.  Do you get me or did I lose you?

One of the things that I have not spent near enough time doing is reading and meditating on the Word of God.  Now some of you may immediately think I am saying that reading the Bible is something I feel required to do.  You may think I am saying that I have this nagging guilt trip because I have not met up to the expectations that I feel are placed on me by my "religion".  (If you have picked up anything from reading my blog, my faith is much deeper than "religion".)  Though in some ways reading His Word is a requirement in the same way that spending time with your spouse or anyone else that you love is a requirement in order to get to know them better, I no longer view Bible reading as a requirement...at least not in a burdensome, expectation-placed-on-me aspect.  I used to, and that's when my Christian experience seemed much more like a guilt-ridden, can-never-meet-up-to-everyone's-expectations time of life.  What a freedom comes when you no longer see it that way! 

No, I do not view it that way anymore.  It's more like this...

When I do spend time reading His Word (that He specifically gave to those various inspired writers to pen, and that He has made sure to preserve for centuries so that you and I could continue to hear what He has to say and what He has done for us)...when I read His word, it is refreshing, renewing, inspiring, enlightening, intriguing, mind-blowing, mysterious-yet-very clear and alive, thought-provoking, humbling, comforting, encouraging, convicting, very on-point for the very moment I am reading a specific passage, historically educating and interesting, and, well, indescribeable! 

So...was that enough adjectives for you!?!  You see, if I was trying to fulfill a total-word-count requirement for a paper in school, I would have thrown tons of applicable but unnecessary adjectives in there.  Because, let's face it...there's only so much you can say about "flying buttresses" and then you just have to fill in the rest of the space!  (In case you're wondering, that's what my High School Senior English Term Paper was about!  Why do I still remember that?  How could you forget months of research and note cards on Gothic Architecture and Flying Buttresses...not to mention how difficult it was to try to make that all sound interesting in a High School Term Paper!) 

Anyway, like I said, there are times when you have said all there really is to say and the adjectives are just unnecessary (but required) fillers.  But, in this case, each of those adjectives is very true, very real, very necessary, and even still not enough to describe what reading His Word can be like.  Go back and read them again and let each one sink in.  Then, maybe you will understand why I say that reading His Word and spending time meditating on what He has to say through it is not really so much a requirement to me as it is truly a necessity! 

Like a good drink of cold water on a hot Louisiana day or a piping hot cup of coffee or tea on a much-to-early and cold morning...time with Him, reading His word (even just a couple of verses) is truly a refreshing, comforting necessity of life...for me, at least.

Paparazzi!?!

Ok, so I think I may have just gotten a ticket this evening.  Not sure, though.  No, it wasn't a great invisible policeman that pulled me over or anything.  (Too bad it wasn't Steven Seagal!  Man, my husband would be jealous!)  No, nothing like that...But, something about those flash bulbs going off behind me.  I very seriously doubt that any Paparazzi would have any reason to be following ME...much less snapping pictures.  Yep, it was either me or that Speed Demon who was behind me urging me to move faster down a road of which I am unfamiliar with the speed limit.  Just as I figured out the speed limit...and that I was about 5 miles over it...those lovely flash bulbs went off behind me.  Hmmmm.....  Guess I'll find out if I receive a congenial "letter" from the great City of New Orleans.  I have a feeling it won't be one telling me how much they enjoy having me grace their area with my presence.  No...instead I imagine it will be some form of a gentle (yeah, right!) and not-so-subtle insistence upon paying a fine due them for disrespecting their rules.  Of course, I can only hope it was really Speedy Gonzales who made the flash bulbs go off and got his license plate enshrined by the NOPD Paparazzi.  Oh, well.  Time will tell.

Makes me think a little...like I ever stop doing that!    Just like I am admittedly guilty in this case of speeding (sooo much less than I used to speed, by the way!), and Mr. S. Gonzales is most definitely guilty...I may have to pay the price for this and I may not, though I really do deserve to.  (I hope Mr. G. does and not me.)  I deserve it because, as I said, I disrespected the rules and committed the (is this called a crime?) act of civil disobedience.  (Oooh, that was good!)  Additionally, no matter what I think, Mr. S. Demon (those demons....ugh!) may or may not have to pay the price for what I think he did wrong.  Only the NOPD Traffic Camera will be the judge of that.  Even if I do think he was wronger than me.

So, with all of that said, I am reminded so clearly of a much more serious and much more costly fine/debt owed for my innate wrongness, disobedience, and at times blatant lack of respect.  I deserve to pay the ultimate and required price for at times spitting in the face of my God who loves me and made me to love Him.  Sometimes my actions have been truly as harsh as spitting in His face, sometimes they don't seem so harsh as that.  But, ultimately, all of those times I denied Him and what He did for me and avoided His call to my heart...that's exactly what I did...spit in the face of the One who loves me more than any human being can even begin to know how to love.  How humbling and shocking and amazing and precious is it to know that He paid that costly fine...the debt that I owed, not Him...He paid it FOR me AND for YOU by dying on that cross.  Such a gruesome, horrible, humiliating death.  Yet, such a loving, triumphant death, as His blood that poured from His body covered me and all of my sin even then...long before I would do the things He knew I would do.  He sees His blood covering me...not my wrongs and shameful ways.  His AMAZING GRACE that is so incomprehensible has been offered to me and to you...no matter how far gone we think we are.  No matter if we are as guilty as Mr. Speed Demon, or "just a little guilty" like me.  It's FREE for us!!!  AND, the even more awe-inspiring thing is that He not only died that horrible death for us...He victoriously, miraculously, triumphantly rose again...from the dead...spoke to His disciples (like our friend John) so that they would KNOW that He is Who He says He is and He can do what He says He can do and so that they could and would record their experiences with Him in order for us to be able to know Him through those words (His Word)...then, oh yes, it gets even better, He ascended (that means went up) into heaven to prepare a very special place for us to come and spend eternity with Him there.  And I must say...that place sure is gonna be somethin'...He's been working on it for quite some time, and it's still not quite as perfect as He wants it to be for us.  Because when it is...He's coming to get us and take us there to be with Him!

Wonder if He'll have Traffic Cameras on those Streets of Gold!?!  Oh, who cares! 

Oh, and don't forget about Mr. Speedy...remember I said only the Traffic Camera could be the ultimate judge of him in this case.  Well, same goes for all of those people around us that we look down at and compare ourselves to thinking we're not as bad as them...only He will be the judge of them.  We might be quite surprized to see how many of "them" will be with Him in Glory!  No, He doesn't miss the things they (and we) do, like the Traffic Cameras can.  BUT...He chose to send His Son to die so that He could offer that Amazing Gift of Grace (undeserved favor), Forgiveness, Mercy, Love, and Eternal Life to any and all who would receive it by believing in Him.  I am so glad He doesn't listen to others' opinion about me...or better yet, my opinion about myself...He is The Judge...not me nor you. 

You're not too far gone.  You haven't crossed the non-existent "line".  If you feel that tug at your heart...stop fighting it.  Don't deny it any longer.  That's Him gently, tenderly, lovingly calling you to give up the fight and admit that He is Who He says He is.  It's okay.  You don't have to explain to anybody why you had to keep up the struggle against Him and what you know in your heart to be true about Him.  Even if you don't understand how it could be true, and you don't know how you can ever figure Him out much less explain Him to anyone else.  Don't worry about that.  Just trust Him.  Believe in Him.  Right NOW.  Don't put it off.  You never know what tomorrow will bring...or even the next few minutes.  Relax...let go...let Him have all of your worries.  He doesn't intend for you to bear all of that alone.  Let Him BE your Strength and your Hope...most of all...let Him be your Lord and Saviour.

Sometimes you just gotta stop steppin'

Not always...but definitely sometimes.

The other day I was riding down the road and noticed on a sign in front of a church "The same God who plans your steps is the God who plans your stops."  WOW!  So true!

The last several days, though life has continued to keep moving and there are certain parts of that which do require me to keep moving, I have definitely been somewhat stopped as well.  (as you can see by the lack of blog posts)  Physically, sometimes the body just says...STOP!  And, well, sometimes you just can't argue with that!  For the past 2 or 3 days I have finally been physically back to 100% (pretty much...if that exists!).  But, I have still been slowly getting back to writing all of the various thoughts and inspirations that are running around in my head.

So, here I am.  Baby steps.  Nothing major for this post except a simple reminder to take the time to STOP...and do whatever you need to do when you stop...smell the roses...have a cup of coffee or hot tea...or warm milk...think...write...do nothing...whatever.  Most of all, rest.  Let Him handle your worries.  He's got that down pat.