A time to Enjoy the weekend...

Where your feet go, may God go before you...
May your weekend be filled with Grace.
His. Seek it.

My suggestion ~ Enjoy some BOOKS! Curl up with the one you've been desiring to read that's still sitting on your bookshelf, take a trip to your local library, or for those who are more technical savvy... download one to your Kindle.
There is something enchanting when you read - especially when a little one climbs up on your lap and you share the experience, the wonder of a story. It's those memories I hold close, the ones that will last a lifetime.
Pick one up, open the pages, and discover all that lies between the covers.

A time to Hold on...

MAKE SURE TO PAUSE THE PIANO MUSIC , before you press play.

Wake up to the morning light
Wipe away the lonely night
Let a brand new day wash over you

I want to see you smile again
Show some love to your crazy friends

Wipe your tears away, those days are through...

I absolutely adore Toby Mac as an artist. He is actually a family favourite when it comes to grooving in the living room.
This song is his. Which I've taken on as mine.

It reminds me of so much... This is for YOU!!!

Take a listen and enjoy. If you catch yourself grooving to the beat too-
I recommend you purchase the song from itunes (actually the whole album is a must).

A time to Think Differently...

Self-condemning thoughts consume my friend.
The battle is in her mind.
The mirror, the scale, the World's standards have more power over her then she dares to realize or choose to admit.

She is beautiful, and lovely.
Try telling her that. Unbelief. Doubt.
She'd rather believe the lie that she is of no worth... the way she is.
In this place. This moment.

The record plays daily. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Images of who she isn't, plague her. The fiery darts pierce into her soul.
Unwilling to embrace herself, and accept.

It is a war against flesh.
Constant comparisons, pull you in deep. Envy and Jealousy manifest.
She grabs hold of the distortion that she'll never measure up.

When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. (1 Corinthians 10:12b)

These behaviours are easily recognizable to me.
For years I fought on the battle ground against expressing my own unfavorable worth.
I recall the anguish. There are times I still have to fight.

We shrug off the compliments from others as politeness, not truth.
We simply don't believe them.
Self-condemning as ugly. Never good enough. Always striving.

We'd rather believe the lies, as we grasp on to these false hopes that if we don't keep repeating our imperfections, then change will not come. The change, the standard that we so desperately long for.

This world is so consumed with the outside. The shell. That we aren't willing to pull the lens up close and take that deeper look inside. The place where we experience the real, the raw, the bona fide.
To see past the exterior into the sacred. The place that true radiance resides.

My question is this "Why is it so painfully difficult for us to accept the way he formed us?"

God created man in his own image,in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

My friend (you know who you are), I pray that you will see that your beauty is formed by the very hands of God. You are unique, one of a kind. There is nobody else like you. God has thought extensively about you, every detail (inside and out).
You are His beloved.
May you walk in the truth, and reject the lies... and know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;my soul knows it very well. (Psalm 139:14)

A time to take Rest...

I knew it was coming. Yesterday.
I drew in breath and felt my lungs ache. The pressure of air being forced into this tight space.

I know that sometimes, to catch my attention in the hustle and bustle of life (because I'm not listening), He will slow me down.
He, my God, is Sovereign over ALL creation.
He, Creator. Me, His Creation.

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

It is all in your hands.
I will take rest, I will be still, I will listen and know....

... and I will surely welcome Chicken Noodle Soup.

A time to have the Faith like a Child...

"I don't ever want to live in an Orphanage, Mama"
The most random thoughts escape the lips of my littlest beauty.

"Why would you have to live in an Orphanage?" I question her.

"If you couldn't take care of me, wouldn't you bring me there?... Like, if you couldn't feed me."

"Baby Girl, I would give up all I have to take care of you and feed you."

"But, what if you had nothing, Mama. Then what?"
I can tell she needs to explore all the odds.

"I would still want you near me. Besides, Baby Girl... even if we had nothing, we would always have Jesus."

A grin from ear to ear broke the worry. The brightness of her smile lit up my heart.

"That's right, Mama. Did you know that Jesus calls himself 'The Bread of Life'? So, we wouldn't ever be hungry. He would take care of us and feed us, wouldn't He?"

The tears well in my eyes, and I smile at this beloved girl of mine. Precious and Delicate.
"Yes, yes He would."

"I knew it." she exclaims as she bounces off into the day.

Out of the mouth of babes, comes truth.
We can learn simple foundational truths from a child.

Jesus tells us "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:4)

"I am the bread of life.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." (John 6:48,51)

Oh, Sweet Baby Girl... I thank God for you and your simple yet remarkable wisdom.
May you continue to believe in Him who will feed us "real" bread. I pray that your relationship with Jesus will be deep, and wide, and all-consuming.
I love you!

A time to Enjoy the Weekend...

Rejoice in what your weekend brings!
Whatever it is, that will fill up your days... be thankful!

My suggestion ~ Enjoy the SUN! Bask in the warmth through a window pane while reading a book, on a trail while taking a walk, or while you are traveling to and fro. Take the moment to notice & appreciate that Spring is Coming!

A time to say No...

I was planning on writing something entirely different today, until this happened...

I'm sitting in my newly decorated, beautifully calming office. Over the past couple weeks, this has become my favorite room of our home. Although papers are stacked, orders are spread, emails need answering, and post-its make a dwelling on this desk... I find rest in here.
This new decor is soothing, and I have a place to get off these feet. Most work in here requires that I take a seat.
I've already confessed, I'm a doer.

I heard it ring, my phone... and oh, how one call can make you remember.
The voice of a friend on the other end. We made plans, we laughed, we spoke of things to come, and she gave me a reminder that we all need to hear sometimes.

Her voice broke, with hesitancy "It's okay to say no, Manda."
A simple word. Hard to say. Harder to implement.

The love of a friend shone through the stacks, the lists, the daily agenda of activities... and reminded me to take care, to take time, to be still, to say no.

She cares. She wants me to stay guarded. She is right.
There is only so much one can do.
I keep myself in check as much as I can, and when I don't... I get a call from a friend.
I ask myself "Am I taking on more then I should?"

Jesus tells us...
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."(Matt. 11:28-30)

"Is my yoke easy, my burden light?". If not, then something isn't adding up. "Who's yoke am I carrying? What is burdening me?"

From a reminder out of love...
That little two letter word that allows me to take rest.

My friend, this is for you... "I love you for loving me through the hesitancy of a hard word, Thank you".

A time to Confess...

On a "lighter" note today... I want to confess some things about me.
I have addictions. Many of them. Well, at least that's what I call them (teasingly), but are they?
It made me wonder, so I decided to dust off the ol' dictionary and I took a peek inside. I thumbed through the pages...
"Ah, there it is..."

Addiction
1: the quality or state of being addicted
2 : compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful

"What does it say for addicted..."

Addicted
1 : to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively
2 : to cause addiction to a substance

Whoa! Ok, so then the question is still posed in my mind... Are these addictions?

* Chocolate & Coffee - This one has to be at the top of my list since I indulge a little everyday.
HABITUAL! (((Gasp))))

* Running - There are days I must run, days I do rest, days I would rather stay in bed,
and some days that I actually do (2 out of 7 days).
HABITUAL!

* Clothes - I love to wear them (we all should) and I love to buy them.
HABITUAL (only because I wear them everyday)!
However, I don't love to wash them, laundry is not a fun task to me... so I'm not really addicted to clothes then am I?
NOT Habitual!

* Cooking - We need to eat. Period. I know I use cooking as therapy. My friends call me a "foodie". Is there a definition for that?
I do enjoy and find comfort in the preparation, the presentation, and the partaking of meals. Yummm.
HABITUAL!

I don't think I should continue. I'm not really on a good role here... I seem to have some "habits".
Addictive? Maybe.
But if I'm not ruled by them, and could lay them down, then maybe not.
Can we enjoy things in this life, take pleasure in them, and not make them idols?
Of course we can. It just brings us back to the real issue... the heart.

Jesus told the Pharisees "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts."

Let us not forget...
"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive.
(1 Corinthians 10:23).

A time to "Smell the Flowers"...

In the Simple there is Exquisite
In the Quiet there is Praise
In the Ordinary there is Miraculous

For us to take a view from another angle may seem awkward, possibly even unnatural... but, the treasure can often be found there.

The simpleness of seed can sprout into the exquisite - of shade & nourishment & bloom
The quietness of dawn is awakened with praise - by wind & bird & rain
The ordinary of everyday can abound into miraculous - with healing & breath & truth

Can we take the time to experience the beauty around us with a new set of eyes, open ears, or a different perspective?

When we look beyond what we perceive as accurate, due to our natural defaults ~ We can uncover those treasures.
Pause. Recognize. Praise. Receive.

I want to be one of those people who "stops to smell the orchids (they're my favorite)". To see the remarkable in the plain.
The way snow falls from the sky as these unique, delicate, crystalized flakes, of wonder. Leaving no imprint of their existence once melted by sun.
The way the sound of thunder awakens my senses when heard from a far off distance, but soothes me when close to home.
The way one person, solely on their own, can touch your heart and change your life... by an encouraging word, a hand to hold, or a listening ear.

I want to seize the blessed opportunities to shift my habits.
To gain unveiled eyes and unblocked ears...
Exposing the Exquisite, the Sound of Praise, and the Miracles of Life.

A time to Examine the Heart...

Examination of the heart is hard.
You end up with these rude awakenings, when you realize that you aren't all you thought you were cracked up to be.
What??? Me??? No!!!!
Where did we get the false belief that we are "good"?

According to Jeremiah our hearts need work.


The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9)



As I think about my "desperately sick" heart, and examine the very nature... I see the dark places that I want to keep hidden. The places I want no one to know about. The depths where sin dwells, and wrestling takes place. The Battles. The War.



The Apostle Paul puts it like this "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." (Romans 7:15-19)



This may seem dark and gloomy.
So then, where is the hope?
The hope is in Jesus!


Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:1-11)


The examination of the heart will bring to the light that which is in darkness... when we truly seek God to reveal.
Do we dare?

In our sufferings we are to REJOICE for it brings forth PERSEVERANCE, CHARACTER, and HOPE.
Why is it then, that I want the transformation to be instantaneous and pain-free.
I don't want to persevere, I want the sufferings to be over (quickly).
I want to learn the lesson, make it stick, and move on... next!

I'm learning. I may be delayed in doing so, but I'm learning.
To Rejoice in the Examination. To Rejoice in the Unveiling. To Rejoice in the Sufferings. To Rejoice in the Regeneration.



LORD Jesus
Dig deep into the desperately sick places of my heart, and continue to do your work in me.
Let me not be afraid of seeing the darkness, and allow no pride to rear it's ugly head.
I rejoice & am thankful for the suffering that comes when facing and dealing with my sin.
When I wage war against the battle over my life... I'll give you praise and glory.
You alone are the one who can transform the heart, and I pray for your miraculous transformation in my own.

A time to Love...

Have you ever heard the statement "Love is a choice"?
I've loved. I've lost. I've kept loving.

We long to be loved. Don't we? Our hearts ache for affections, our souls long for authentic intimacy.
A love that is more then twinkling eyes & butterflies.
We long for a deep-penetrating love, one that sinks into every morsel of who we are.
The kind that takes you away and captivates you with excitement, wonder, and adventure.
Never-ceasing, constantly adoring, always pursuing kind-of-love.
Ever-filling, overly passionate, once-in-a-lifetime love.
A love that make you whole, because you are simply (yet miraculously) SATISFIED!

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us...
We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:16,17a,19 NIV)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NIV)

I will choose love...

A time to Start...

I've debated this for awhile... thoughts on page, life relived.
I've done it for years on paper, but a blog... really? I never would have thought that I would even consider it.
To know that people will see, read, and even possibly... judge ((Gasp)) is a scary thing!

However, there is healing when people can come together and find wisdom in the words and experiences of another.
Not that I think I am wise. But truth is, I've lived... through marriage valleys & mountain tops, parenting mishaps & happiness, and life experiences that could maybe (just maybe) encourage someone else. I've learned that we all fall, and that we can all rise... I've learned that God is sovereign, and He is good... I've learned that my life is but a vapor, and for His glory...

So let's begin...
It will be a journey for all of us - if not "us", then at least me. I know I'll read this blog (if only for spelling errors).