For all those late nighters on the ‘morrow! Happy (early) New Year’s! … 2024!!😳🤣
Silly Saturday
For all those late nighters on the ‘morrow! Happy (early) New Year’s! … 2024!!😳🤣
Month: December 2023
Funny Friday
January is Coming
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and I wish you a very happy New Year’s!
With Nee Year’s comes new year resolutions, reservations for new school vents and sometimes even “revolutions” to start a new thing and accomplish it with fire!
But then, after only a few months, we often see so many temporarily quit, back up or walk away altogether from their declarations. Why?
More often than not, it’s because a great proclamation can’t change the heart.
If you too closely resemble the world you are wanting to change, it will be harder for you to being about change.
If you never implement accountability, you’ll never have a foundation for truth and honestly.
If you never truly come out a be separate from that thing you are leaving, how do you ever believe you can truly transform?
So, as the new year quickly approached, let’s do some reflecting. Let’s go some pondering.
But most of all, let’s do some deep soul searching to find the true depth of the change we want and so desperately need.
And then, let’s step out of the comfort zones. Let’s rip through the veils of secrecy.
And let’s shine the light of absolute truth and stand apart from what was to become what can and will be.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light..
1 Peter 2:9
For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 14:2
Silly Saturday
For all those getting ready for those holiday family gatherings that are maybe just a little dysfunctional… or a lot! 😳🤣
Funny Friday
For all those still aggravated by the late and missing Amazon Christmas packages…😳🤦♀️🤣
Turn Back
C. S. Lewis has such a way with words. We work so hard to move forward, make progress, never wanting to pause the success and forward motion of our journey.
Yet, sometimes, a good pause is warranted.
Sometimes, an about face turn is in desperate need.
For if we continue to advance, never changing course when the path is in error, we will end our journey devastatingly off course.
So, if you find yourself on the wrong track today, if you recognize this is not the destination for which you first set out, have no shame, have no fear.
Make haste. Do a 180 immediately.
And return to the one degree you missed way back beyond.
It’s never too late.
Unless of course, you stubbornly proceed until you have no more breath.
Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
Joel 2:12-13
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
Silly Saturday
For all those Amazon shoppers…🤣
Funny Friday
For those who need a few more cups to make it through to the holidays! ☕️ 🤣
Choosing Fear
You’ve heard the statement Faith over Fear, or maybe you’ve seen the tshirt, but what does it really mean?
To embrace faith, do you truly let go of fear?
To hold onto strength while pushing away intrepidation?
Or do you simply grasp fear by the throat with one hand and link arms with faith with the other and walk boldly forward through the raging fire and burning flames?
I say truth faith is the latter.
True faith is when the pain takes your breath away, and you have no idea what brings tomorrow or if it will even come, but you square your shoulders and take the step onward.
That’s real faith.
And I’ve seen it in living color…
And it’s all together inspiring and beautiful.
And oh. So very rare.
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel:
Isaiah 43:1-3
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…
Do the Hard With Grace
What is something others do that sparks your admiration?
I have a friend whose husband has just had his leg amputated this past week because of diabetic neuropathy. He was cracking pirate jokes the day after, and she was back in church worshipping on Sunday.
I have a friend whose husband travels extensively throughout the year as a lawyer who defends faith rights as she stays home with her littles, and she still offers a friendly hand, makes a phone call to the hurting, reaches out to the lonely.
I have a friend whose husband was shot in the line of duty, and she works hard to raise their fifth child while also sharing with others about her faith and the peace Jesus can bring in spite of pain, and she’s also working vigorously on her own degree in the study of law.
I have a friend whose wife died tragically in a car wreck, and the very week following her funeral, with tears still to shed, he got on a plane to fly to her hometown to preach the gospel and tell people about the Jesus that she desperately loved.
Each of these friends have heart wrenching stories with details that might break the next person. But each them stand in their faith and keep loving, keep reaching, keep grieving, and keep worshipping their Creator. I’ve watched some go through much less and blame God, walk away from Him and even curse Him.
And you might wonder what’s the difference. Or maybe look at them with criticism and scoff at their faith. Or maybe you gaze upon their path and wonder how in the world you could do the same.
But I’ll tell you what I admire most: their admiration of their King and their ability to do the hard with the deepest of grace.
Their adoration inspires me.
Their vigor admonishes me.
Their dedication and determination encourages me.
It’s not your circumstances that make you.
It’s what you do with those circumstances that makes the difference.
Choosing grace over anger creates an atmosphere of strength and fortitude that cannot be easily silenced.
Choosing faith over despair creates a contagious courage that cannot be ignored.
It doesn’t mean pain is not felt, and it doesn’t mean fear is not faced, but it is the warrior within who brings a peace to those following which cannot be shaken by what’s to come and is sought after as if for fine gold.
This is what ignites my admiration.
This is what sparks the flames of my praise.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:3-5
the grizzle grist mill 