Look Full In His Wonderful Face

2 dates stand out in my mind as the greatest days on earth; 10/15/1991 and 6/2/1994. That's the day I met my babies. Most days I can't remember what I had for lunch but these two days? I can't remember everything that happened on these 2 days but one thing I will never forget is what my babies faces looked like. I remember that I couldn't look away from them. Something inside of me physically, mentally and emotionally would not let me take my eyes off of them.

The bible says that we can't look directly into the face of God. Not while we live in this world anyway. Did it ever dawn on you that if we can't look "full in His wonderful face" that He can't look into our eyes either? We are his babies. He has the same physical, mental and emotional need to look into our faces as we do with our own children. We know that He longs to see us because we were created in His image. So what is a parent to do?

He created an alternative path, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We can look into His face by looking into the faces of His people. We can make eye contact with God by making eye contact with His children.

Yet, we spend our days with our eyes on our phones, our iPads, our computers, our televisions. We rarely have a conversation anymore that our eye contact isn't interrupted with an electronic device. What could be more important than devoting our full attention to our fellow man when we know that we are seeing God through their eyes? What jobs do we have that are more important than showing others Christ through us?

I sure need to work on this! I fail at this miserably but I hope that I keep in mind that to love God's people is to love God Himself. I hope that I would never take my eyes off of God to read a text or an e-mail. I shouldn't do that with His Children either.

God, I ask that you would cleanse me of my selfishness and remind me that loving and respecting others is to love and respect You.

Come Home

When Cheyenne Casey  comes home, she always asks me why the coffee always tastes better at my house. We have the same coffee maker, we buy the same coffee and creamer. I never really have an answer for that question. But I do know that when I go to My Momma's house, I've always thought the same thing. Everything seems better at Momma's house. Naps are better, the food tastes better, I never worry about fixing my hair or getting in a hurry to get something done. I walk into her house and I just feel myself breath for a little bit. No matter how old I get, going to my Mom's house just feels like coming home. I don't think it has anything to do with WHERE she lives, I think it's more about WHO she is. I've always felt safe, taken care of, loved unconditionally and treated like I was her number one priority when I'm there.

We all want to feel that way. We all need to feel that way. Some people don't have a Mom that makes them feel this way. This makes me sad.  Some people have lost their parents or never had a parent that made them feel that way. Some people are going from home to home looking for something or someone that will make them feel that way.

God wants to be that person in our lives. He wants to be our dwelling place. He wants to be the person that makes us feel safe, taken care of, loved unconditionally and He wants to treat us as if we are his number one priority... Because we are! He is waiting for you at the door with the best cup of coffee you've ever had. All you have to do is come home❤️

Love Without Parameters

As I stand at the window of my hotel room this morning, I look out across the city of Houston and I am in awe of my surroundings. Not necessarily because it's beautiful, although it does have some artistic appeal to me, but because of its sheer magnitude. It's actually overwhelming to a small town girl like me. It's hard for me to wrap my head around the size of these buildings. It's even harder for me to comprehend the amount of people that are filling the insides of these buildings.

I'm amazed at the sheer effort that it takes to construct these monstrosities, the amount of intelligence it takes to plan them, the amount of muscle it takes to execute those plans. I've been watching a construction site just below my window all morning. If I look closely I can see that there are men and women working on multiple floors. Hundreds of people. There are people above operating cranes and other heavy equipment.  There are people directing and people following. They look like ants, all knowing what needs to be done, all coming together for a common purpose. For most, it's probably for a paycheck. For some, it might be for the satisfaction of doing a job well. For all, it's to build this building. Side by side, they work on a mutual project. People of different colors, different races, different genders, different religions. People taking orders and direction from supervisors without incident.

On these same streets, on any given day you will see people gathered in large groups. Just one block over last night we watched over 30,000 fans pour into Minute Maid Park to watch a baseball game. Different colors, different races, different genders, different religions. Policemen directing traffic which I have come to find out happens every night down here. Everyone doing as they are instructed without incident. You might stand up here and watch a 5k run, people coming together to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness. You might stand up here and watch this entire downtown area covered with people coming and going to the theater district.

These are the everyday activities of the people of the United States. This happens in every town and city across the US every day. People gathered together in large groups, working towards a mutual cause to accomplish a mutual goal without any attention given to the fact that we are different colors, different races, different genders or different religions.

Our government doesn't want us to see ourselves living together harmoniously. The media doesn't want us to see this everyday living that we do. Instead, they want to divide us, catagorize us, pit us against each other and keep us separated so that they can control our actions and our emotions. Satan is using our government and the media to divide and conquer us. We MUST wake up and take a stand against this! The bible says in Matthew, Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. It also says in 1 Corinthians, I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

We as a nation, are NOT what we see on the news and social media. We are one nation, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. We as individuals are in control of what we allow to influence us. We as individuals are in control of how we treat other people. We as individuals are in control of our own actions. We, as individuals are responsible for kindness and compassion to those around us so that we as a nation can live together in harmony, with a mutual respect and a mutual cause.

God, I am the worlds worst at believing everything I see and hear at face value. I am guilty of allowing the news and social media of misguiding me and keeping me from working on relationships that matter. I ask that you remind me every day that the relationships I build with people are the most important thing I will ever do.

Worry Not

God, it's me again. I need to talk to you this morning. I went to bed worrying and I woke up worrying...over ridiculous stuff. I'm a little overwhelmed right at this moment. This week is the Fiesta. I have a lot of duties to perform. I don't think people realize just how much work is involved getting ready for this. I know I sure didn't when I signed on for it years ago. Every year I get anxiety about this time. I know in the grand scheme of things this is pretty insignificant but to me, this is a pretty big chunk of my time.

Not only that, but I'm worried about the Presidential debates tonight. Good grief! Like I can change anything, right? I have a list of other things that come to mind but I think you get the picture. (Recognize you are in need: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.)

I'm sorry that I seem to always tell you that I'm going to turn this stuff over to You and in the next minute I'm yanking it right back. Why am I such a control freak?!? (repent of our self-sufficiency: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.)

So I guess here's the thing, I don't think I can go through the rest of my week like this. You know me, I need my sleep. My coworkers need me to get my sleep too. My husband definitely needs me to get my sleep. So one more time, I'm asked You to take over the anxiety I'm having this week. I want to be able to have fun planning this Fiesta. I want to have some hope for the future of our Country and I want to get a full 8 hours of sleep! And not necessarily in that order!! (We quit calling the shots and surrender control to God: Blessed are the meek,�for they will inherit the earth.)

I have no doubt that You are up for this task. I can't remember how many times you have come through for me when I come to you like this. I guess it's a good thing you love me so much because I can be worse than a small child when it comes to giving and taking away. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have You. Sometimes I just have to write down my prayers to you because I know me, this is going to come up again and I want to be able to look back at this and remind myself that if I would quit taking back the control I give to You everything would be ok. (So grateful are we for his presence that we yearn for more of him: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be filled.)

Im going to go ahead and pray for some people right now because I know as this week progresses, there are going to be some people that aren't very nice to me. I've been down this road before. Please let me remember that they might have things going on in their lives that they haven't yet been willing to give over to You. I need to remember that not everything is about me, I might just be the person that catches them at a bad time. I'm going to try really hard not to take any of it to heart. And I really need to pray for the media this week! I have no doubt that they will start spewing and twisting things up as soon as this debate is over tonight. I need to remember that I can't change that and that ultimately you are in charge of what happens in the weeks to come. This is really the hardest part for me, praying for those that hurt me or upset me. I'm working on it though! (As we grow closer to him, we become more like him. We forgive others: Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy.)

You know, while I'm at it, I'm going to ask you to keep a hand on my heart and remind me of the good that I have seen in the people around me. I really should take the opportunity to let them know that I see these things. It could be that no one has ever taken the time to let them know that someone has noticed. Everyone has something that makes them special. I'm going to try to look for those things this week! (We change our outlook: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.)

Wow, I'm feeling better already! I'm so glad that you always take the time to listen to me ramble. I guess You are the only person I know that doesn't get frustrated when I can't seem to get my thoughts together, which is great; I need someone in my corner. I'm going to try to look forward to planning this week. I really do like that I have the opportunity to serve this way and it does always turn out to be a lot of fun. As for the debate, I think I might sit back with some popcorn and a Pepsi!

Be a Diamond

This morning I was struck with a profound thought. Doesn't happen often but when it does, it happens at just the right time in my life. It seems as though I am surrounded by people dealing with pressure, myself included. My friends, my family; day in and day out. Pressure! This week I have expressed how much pressure I am under getting ready for the Fiesta. I have had a sweet friend express how hard it is to be a mother of small children in this day and age. The competition between young moms is ridiculous. I have another dear friend that is ready to give up Facebook because of the pressure it is causing in her life. People are ruthless when they can hide behind a computer screen and spew hate and discord. Cowards to the very core. And even a member of my family that is having to deal with a lot of pressure at their job, too much to accomplish with not enough time or resources to get the job done. I have a sweet friend just diagnosed with cancer who has begun the fight of her life. My list could go on and on and on. It seems that everyone I know is dealing with pressure.

Now here is where my profound thought comes in. Bare with me here. Pressure is a tool. That sounds wrong but it is so right! Pressure, even though it is not an actual object, is a tool. And here's the real kicker; pressure is one of the tools most often used by Satan AND by God! They both use pressure to mold us. Satan uses pressure to bend us, to break us, to make us give up and beg for mercy. It causes us pain and torture. It makes us lash out and sin to get away from it. Satan uses it to try to conform us to his will for he hopes to keep us from Seeing God.

God uses pressure in the same exact way. God allows the pressure that Satan is throwing around to bend us and break us, to make us give up and beg for mercy. He allows it to cause us pain and torture.

Both of them are using pressure as a tool. Both of them are hoping for the same result. But there is one HUGE difference in the way that they are using this tool. Our faithful Father sent the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts. He sent us protection against Satan's tactics. Therefore, even though they use the same exact tool for the same exact reason, they will get 2 very different outcomes. Where as Satan uses pressure, his results will become a fossil, a dried, compressed, hardened reminder of a life no longer of this earth. But when God uses pressure, he allows us to become Diamonds! A new creation, sparkling, beautiful, indestructible and sought after by the entire world! All because He gave us the Holy Spirit to protect us from the pressure.

I urge all of us to look at the pressures we face today. Remember that it won't be easy, it won't be quick and it won't  be painless but it will be so worth it in the end! Fight the good fight and become the diamond God intended you to be!