She Said Yes!!

     Oh, the beauty of young love.  The type of pure love, newly discovered and gently starting to bloom.  It is that moment in time every girl dreams of.  Words spoken over her that flow like the finest silk.  Words telling her how much she is loved and cherished. Treasured.  Words spoken from deep inside that one certain man's heart.  "Will you marry me?"  Doesn't the excitement of it just give you chills?  I know some of you reading are sitting there with a dreamy look in your eye caught up in the moment.
     This past week we celebrated the proposal and engagement of a special young couple.  My daughter and her boyfriend managed to make the trip to the special location and remain undiscovered as they snapped pictures and recorded the entire event.  At the end Daniel scooped Sara up in one arm, the other arm raised in what looked strangely like a Travolta Staying Alive pose, and yelled, "She said yes!"

     Caitlin put the pictures and videos together in a beautiful film so that Sara and Daniel can now relive this precious moment in their life time and time again.  We have watched it over and over and cried and cried.  As I watched, though, I couldn't help but think about Jesus. 
     In Malachi 1 we read the story about God telling his chosen people that he loved them.  A simple statement.  "I have loved you."  But those Israelites were stubborn.  They wanted proof.  They dared to ask the question we secretly wish we had the nerve to ask, "How have you loved us?"
     Have you ever dared to ask God how he has loved you?  Have you ever doubted that he really does love you?  Have you ever thought surely all this Bible stuff is good enough for others, but couldn't possibly apply to your own life?  It's ok.  Go ahead.  Ask Him.  Then, listen carefully to hear what He tells you in reply.  I would like to challenge you to keep a pencil and paper handy to make notes of the things He will reveal to you.
     That first chapter of Malachi goes on in the first few verses with God reminding the Israelites that He chose them.  Looking down the grand time-line of the universe, He knew the choices Esau would make.  He knew Jacob would be the one who loved God's ways.  Esau and his decendents would be the one to fulfill the desires of his flesh.  So, God intervened and the birthright went to Jacob.  Jacob, who later was renamed Israel, would continue the lineage of God's chosen people.  However, even the Israelite nation had begun to stray from God's law.  They were satisfied giving God second best.  Their heart was not pure nor was it focused on their first love. He needed them to realize that and return to him.
     It may seem like a stretch, but try to go there with me. Do you remember when you were a little girl and couldn't wait to see the cutest boy in class?  Do you remember how your heart would beat a little too fast?  Maybe you couldn't help but blush when he was around. Did you long for him to take your hand and then hope he wouldn't because they were sweating so much?
     Then you went to middle school and were SO much more mature.  That cute boy from fourth grade wasn't cool anymore.  Now you dreamed of the moment in time when that really super cool, super cute guy would look straight into your eyes and smiles his crooked smile. Just thinking of it now makes you sigh deeply, doesn't it?
     Oh, but he certainly wouldn't be your life mate.  For me it took years before God united my heart with THE ONE.  Mr. Right. The man who asked me that question on that one special night....will you marry me?
     Think about your relationship with Jesus.  If you're like me, you tried lots of other gods and idols and things and ideas before your heart was won by the One who created you.  It may have taken years and years before you recognized the purity and stability of His perfect love.  He may have had to woo you after you rejected Him time and again.  Then, finally, you realized you are nothing without Him.  Your purpose on earth is worthless without His divine direction.  You can't find anything or anyone else that gives you completeness the way He does.  Until you yield your prideful heart, surrender your selfish ambition, and accept the love that has been poured out on you from the begininging of time you will never completely understand the precious love that is being offered to you.    
     I believe that at the moment when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior He scoops us up in one arm and shouts for the heavens to hear...."She said YES!!"  Can't you hear His voice now?  Rejoice, my friend.  You are loved by The King of the universe.  There is no other love like this....He is waiting for you to say that precious word...yes.
  

How intense is your light?

     For several weeks I have been aware of the degrees of light around me.  Maybe it's because I am getting older and need more light to see.  I really hope it's because God is teaching me something, though.  As you read, I hope what I am learning will encourage and help you. 
     It all started early one morning when I headed to McDonald's to get coffee before work.  I hadn't prepared the coffee maker the night before, and it was a cold morning which cried out for hot coffee.  So, instead of turning left from my driveway, I turned right.  About a mile down the road is a shopping area with a grocery store, 24-hour gym, dry cleaners, pizza place, doctor's office, convenience store/gas station, and said McDonald's.  It was a hazy morning, but the light cast a beautiful white glow above the darkness.  That light held a promise that something was there, something worth driving for.
     As I turned back toward the south, coffee in hand, the way became dark again.  Driving that two miles until my next turn, my way was dark except for the lights at the entrance to a neighborhood, a church sign, and an occassional street light.  In the distance I could see the orange glow of the city of Ringgold.  Without the headlights on my car, I would not have been able to see to drive. 
     That's when I began to wonder about the degrees of light.  Soft light, bright light, white or orange light.  Does the light of my life burn brightly like a city in the distance beckoning you to come or cast a dim glow like a campfire which you cannot wander far away from without stumbling?  If I am supposed to live like a light set upon a hill, reflecting the love of Jesus Christ to the world around me, what kind of light do they see?
     Today I did a dumb thing.  I looked into the business end of a bright blue light beam.  It hurt!  I worried that I had blinded myself until I realized I could still see.  And that is when the thought of degrees of light came back to my mind.  I wonder, do I reflect Jesus in such a way that it is blinding, in such a way that Jesus is all people see when they look at me and the way I live?  Sadly, I will answer that No. 
     I am passionate to change that.  I want to serve my savior in all that I do and say.  I want my attitude to be positive and encouraging.  I want to love people - REALLY love people.  I want to be consistent at home and at work in the way I speak and respond to people.  I want to be an ambassador for my Lord, representing him in such a way that one day I will hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." 

I've Got a New Attitude!

  Back in the mid 1980s, Patti LaBelle had a wonderful song by that name.  Well, I Googled the lyrics and love one particular part of that song.  It goes like this:  I'm feelin' good from my head to my shoes, Know where I'm goin' and I know what to do, I tidied up my point of view, I got a new attitude!   That's where I find myself this afternoon...the owner of a new attitude.
    There has been a particular person and situation in my life who has caused me stress and grief for the last little while.  I was focused on little things in this person's life and manner which caused me to be one frustrated lady.  I wanted to change this person.  I wanted this person to be thinking like me, processing things like me, organized like me, reacting like me......I guess I wanted a clone of me!
     Last Sunday night I couldn't even sleep for thinking this way.  I lay awake trying to come up with ways to change this person.  You know, the mid-night "If Only Club."  Realizing I needed to sleep so I could work on Monday, I simply said, "Lord, help me.  Help me to be more compassionate to this person."  Frankly, I went on to sleep and forgot my simple prayer.  I forgot it completely until I was driving alone this afternoon in the quietness of my car.  I suddenly realized I was thinking of this person with a gentleness that had not been in my heart before. 
     All day today I have been humming the tune of Ten Thousand Reasons.  "Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul. Worship His holy name....."  This evening I am the one who has been blessed!  What a miracle to see God working in my life! It's a sweet experience to know that He has His hand on my life this way!
     How about you, my friend?  Have you been carrying things around in your Burden Basket which you really should relinquish to the Lord?  Another line in that Patti LaBelle song says, "I'm in control and my worries are few..."  Are you trying to control your life and the lives of people around you?  I have learned over the years, and especially today, that when I am trying to be in control, my worries are greater.  Giving control over to my Creator is the best way to live. 
     May I encourage you today to release the clinch of your fist around the idea of control?  Right now, physically, actually make a fist and release it.  Why do we work so hard to hold on to things that we have no business holding onto?  There was another song by Twila Paris that applies beautifully here.  God Is In Control.  This song goes like this:  "God is in control.  We believe that His children will not be forsaken.  God is in contol.  We will choose to remember and never be shaken.  There is no power above or beside him.  God is in control.  God is in control."
     Isn't that a better song!?  Believing the God is in control is a freeing experience.  Choose today to remember the promise of His word.  First Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our care on him....because he cares for us.  Dear friend, I hope you will believe that God cares for you.  I hope you will cast your care on him.  I hope that you will find yourself with a surprisingly refreshing new attitude! 

I Hate Waiting!

     I absolutely hate waiting!  I've never been good at it.  Throughout my life, whenever a time came that I had to wait, I failed at being virtuous.  I play the piano a little bit.  As a teen when I would get ready to go somewhere and be waiting for the rest of the family or my ride, well, that was when I got my best practice sessions in!  I would play and sing and probably drive everyone else crazy as I waited and played and sang.  But, it gave me something to do.
     Christmas was the worst!  I loved getting presents, but I wanted to know what was in those boxes.  One year mom wrapped all our gifts and put numbers on the boxes.  No names.  Surely it wouldn't be too hard to figure out whose were whose since there were only three of us kids.  Oh, but it was!! Shaking them yielded no answers.  Coats, underwear, and socks sound the same when shaken no matter who they are for. 
     My brother was expert at getting the packages opened and wrapping them back up without leaving a trace.  So, I got him to open the boxes.  That way I could honestly say, "No, ma'am, I didn't do it."  HA!  One year our presents were all safely locked away behind my parents' bedroom door.  They went out one night to shop for more, and I was left in charge.  I was about 14.  That would make my brother about 8.  Poor guy.
     I've always been tall, so reaching the crochet hook that would fit through the hole to pop the lock on that bedroom door from its carefully positioned spot atop the door frame was easy enough.  I opened it, told my brother to go in and see what he could find, and waited in the hallway.  I made SURE I didn't step foot in that room.  He reported back, and my sister and I peered in to see the loot. When he came out we locked the door back, returned the crochet hook to the top of the door frame, and went through the rest of the evening excited about our secret knowledge. 
     All went well until Mom and Dad came home and tried to get into their room.  That's when the question came, "Who's been in our room?"  As we all denied entry, the hammer came down on me.  Busted.  I had put the crochet hook in the wrong place on top of the door frame.  Needless to say, there was a lot of scolding and crying since I was obviously the only person in the house tall enough to reach the crazy thing in the first place.  All because I hate waiting.
     Today I find myself waiting.  I think I know the answer I will get in the end, but I have to wait for it. Many years have passed since those piano playing days.  I have a little more patience.  I have some insight and wisdom about life.  I still have to wait though, and I hate it.  My mind makes up all kinds of scenarios.  I surely am doomed.  Surely.  Well, aren't I doomed?
     The simple truth is that no, I am not doomed.  I believe God is in control.  I believe that His plan is bigger and better than anything I can imagine.  I believe He loves me and is working all things together for my good.  If that means I have to wait, then wait I will.  I will pray and praise.  My hope is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. 
     As the next few days pass, I will wait for the answer to my question.  What will I do?  I won't be at the piano playing and singing.  I will be placing my trust in my Jesus, reading the Word of God, and praying that whatever happens God's will is done in my life.  
    What about you?  Are you waiting for God to reveal something to you?  Are you praying over a life situation and wishing God would answer quickly?  Are you seeking Him and trusting Him to work all things together for your good?  Leave me a comment and let me know what God is doing or has done in your life.  I would love to hear about it!

Enough Wet Wood!

     I had the wonderful opportunity yesterday to speak to another beautiful group of ladies.  God graciously continues to open doors for me to share the lessons He teaches me.  My friend and I have the privilege of speaking together, and we constantly stand amazed at how God gives us lessons which He puts together for a weekend of talks that touches not only our own hearts as we grow in our faith, but also the hearts of the ladies we are speaking to.  It's so wonderful to be a part of all that!
     The theme of the conference this weekend was Fan the Flame.  I wonder, is your fire smoldering or blazing?  Second Timothy 1:6 tells us to rekindle afresh the gift of God which is in us.  Matthew 5 tells us not to hide our light under a basket.  There is a challenge for us there.
     I am convinced that many, if not most, of us living here in the south have lived our lives satisfied with a mediocre Christian walk.  Church is just something we do.  It's expected, so we follow along to fit in.  We are wet wood.
     Have you ever been camping on a chilly, damp October weekend?  Looking for wood to start a campfire becomes difficult.  You gather small pieces to kindle the fire, most of it is damp, wet, and hard to ignite.  When, finally, the spark catches, you might blow onto it ever so gently.  Then, carefully so as not to smother the fire that is beginning to grow, you pile on a little more wood.  Larger pieces than before, until finally you add the large logs that will burn for a long time. 
     My husband and I have worked for that campfire more than once.  When we finally got it going, we stacked the big pieces of wood close to the fire so they could dry out and be ready to burn. We didn't want to put out the fire by adding wet wood.
     Such is our walk with the Lord.  We need to begin to stack up those small things: answered prayers, encouraging words from friends, a sermon or lesson that convicts us, the desire for more and more of the Word, and allow our fire to ignite into a beautiful flame.  That flame then lights the world around us.  We have something special about us.  Each of us does.
     When we walk with the Lord, He specifially equips us and gifts us to accomplish His work here on Earth.  Your job is different from mine.  My work is different from my husband's.  The analogy in scripture is a body.  I need my eyes, ears, hands, fingers, toes, each for a different purpuse.  Each is equally important to me.  I broke my big toe in the ball joint a few years ago.  It will never be the same.  Sometimes when I take a step I feel the twist in my foot as my toe won't bend completely like it did before.  Even so, I'm glad it's still there! 
     I have a friend who is losing her sight.  She has a cane now to help guide her so that she doesn't run into things.  She can't drive.  She has to depend of friends to get places. 
     That's what the body of Christ is like when you don't do what God has called you to do.  Don't be confused about this.  It's important that each of us understand.  If you are a child of the King, then you are called.  Called to be a light to this dark world.  Called to be a part of a functioning body. So if you don't function, that part of the body of Christ is off-balance.  Paralyzed.
     My friend, I urge you to seek the Lord.  Serve Him with all your heart.  Dig into His Word, and share your light with the world all around you. I am so grateful for the opportunities that continue to come my way.  Do I consider myself a speaker? Not really. What I do know as absolute truth is the drive deep in my soul to obey when the door opens and I am asked to teach.  Then I have that feeling of satisfaction and delight that I am walking the path God has put before me. 
         What about you?  What is it that you do that you KNOW is God's plan for your life?  Rekindle afresh the gift of God which is in you. 

Are those floors really clean?

     Last week we finally stayed home long enough to clean house.  It's been a crazy summer and life is finally settling back into routine.  In preparation for my nephews' yearly week-long visit, we gave the house a thorough cleaning.  I was so proud of what my husband and I had accomplished!  Furniture polished, not just dusted off.  Bathrooms scoured and disinfected.  Laundry clean, folded and put away.  Beds changed.  Floors swept, mopped, and/or vacuumed.  All in the same day!  Yes, it was a total feeling of serenity and satisfaction that I had after a long day of hard work.
     Then it happened.  Someone dripped water on the floor.  Not a tragedy, really.  Until after I bent to wipe it up.  I grabbed a paper towel and quickly swiped up the spill.  That's when I saw it.  The floor I thought had been so spotlessly clean just hours before left my white paper towel dark and dirty.  How can this be?!  I wonder, do I need one of those things they advertise on TV that works better than a mop?  Maybe I need to do like my mom and my friend Debbie and just get on my hands and knees with a cloth to mop my floors.  Something different has to happen.  I can't just pretend to have a clean house!
     I thought about how this relates to my life with Christ.  He has promised to wash me clean.  Whiter than snow.  Yet I walk around grey and dingy and covered with a film that clings no matter how unwanted.  It serves as a barrier between me and my God.  It hinders intimacy with the One who knows me completely.  Sin.
    Proverbs 20:9 - Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?  Oh, but how we try.  We make so many excuses to try to make our sin OK.  We make up names like Little White Lie.  We rationalize that someone deserves our wrath.  We consider ourselves above the norm.  We even tell ourselves no one will ever know.  Frankly, we can't make our own hearts clean.  We must bow before the Holy God and submit to His cleansing.  Jesus shed his blood for that very purpose. 
     When we kneel before the Lord and ask for his cleansing and forgiveness, he gives it freely and completely.  Holding nothing back, he casts our sin as far as the east is from the west.  He buries those horrible things in the depths of the sea.  He purifies us and creates us anew.  So, why don't we live that way?  Why do we live like we have a dirty film covering us?  I believe that it is because of the comfort we have in our sin.  Change is hard. 
     In Psalm 51 David, after his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, bows at the feet of his Lord and asks, "Purge me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice.  Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me."  David wanted to be restored to the pure relationship he had with God.  His sin had damaged that relationship.  His sin had left a film of filth covering him, and he begged God to wash it away.
     Are you willing?  Do you even want to be clean, really clean?  Are you tired of pretending?
     I love to travel to Haiti.  Since my first trip until now, I go whenever the opportunity presents itself.  It's not an easy trip.  The place we go is in the city.  Concrete and dust are everywhere.  There is not a blade of grass at the school where we stay.  We sleep on air mattresses on the floor with no air conditioning.  We sweat a LOT.  My bath consists of a bucket of water which I pour over my head.  It feels so good on a hot afternoon to pour that cold water over my head!  BUT. 
     You never dry off because of the humidity.  When you put your clothes on they stick to you.  When you walk across the courtyard to return to your quarters, the dust of the ground coats your feet and legs.  Though you have washed, you are never really clean.  You can't escape the dust.  Think of that dust as the sin we don't want to really let go of. 
     Do you have that thing in your life that, even though you ask God to forgive and purify you, you won't completely let go and allow Him to remove it from your life?  Do you get up off your knees and walk back down the path once again allowing the filth to cover you?  Do you take so much comfort in the film of filth that it is ok with you to just go on pretending that everything it OK? 
     Revelation 1:5 says Jesus loved us and wash us from our sins in His own blood.  Here's my conclusion.  Just like my mom and my friend Debbie get on their hands and knees to mop their floors to a pristine cleanliness, we have to get on our hands and knees before the Lord God Almighty.  First John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
     Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit.  Will you allow the Lord to weigh your spirit today?  It's time we quit justifying our sin and calling it pure.  It's time we lived out who God has created us to be.  Women (and men) in love with the creator of the universe, cleansed by the blood of Christ, spreading that love with the world. 

Paint, Part 2

My daughter calls it The Big Move.  I suppose that is the best name for it.  We loaded up a trailer with everything we had bought for her new apartment and headed out on our next big adventure.  You know the feeling when everything is going so smoothly that you know something must be wrong?  I never had that feeling.  We all rejoiced over the awesome time we were making.  There were no traffic jams, no delays, no detours.....until we got two hours away from our destination. 
     I was driving behind my husband who was pulling the trailer and my daughter and her boyfriend were behind me.  Suddenly, the front of my husband's Big White Truck began bouncing like a basketball.  As we all tried to pull between the construction barrels on the side of the road, the reduced speed stopped the problem so we kept going.  Then it happened again.  The front of the big white truck - bouncing like a ball.  So, I did what any loving wife would do.  I called my husband to find out what was happening.  It's hilarious to think about now.  I didn't take into consideration that he was using all his strength to try to control that monster truck.  I wanted to know what was going on!
     So, off the interstate we went.  Finally finding a parking lot empty enough for all three of us to fit into, we stopped to figure our situation out.  Without doubt, this truck wasn't going further.  We must have been a sight!   Four people with smart phones surfing the internet to find the nearest Dodge dealership. Realizing this was going to take awhile, we sent "the kids" on to get our lodging for the night and began our search for help. 
    Friends, let me tell you now that it is just fine for you to laugh out loud as you read.  This story deserves a good laugh!
     All the roads were one-way, so we went around the block to turn around to go do the dealership.  Connally turned out onto the main road, and I got caught by the red light.  Looking to my right I saw the U-Haul store.  I called and asked if he didn't think we should go ahead and rent a truck to pull our trailer on to our destination. When I heard my husband say, "Go in and do whatever you have to do," I knew he was at a peak frustration level.  As I made the arrangements he called to tell me he had a flat tire on the trailer and would be changing it and coming soon. 
     Since I had the dog with me I was outside trying to entertain and keep her cool when I heard it.  Ca-thunk.  Ca-thunk.  Ca-thunk.  I knew what it was -my husband pulling a trailer with a flat tire.  Sure enough!  The lug nuts were stripped and he couldn't remove them without breaking them.  After an hour laying in the parking lot of U-Haul, he finally got the tire changed.  We hooked our borrowed trailer to the 10-foot empty U-Haul box truck we had to rent because it was the only thing they had to pull a 12-foot trailer and pulled it out of the way.  Then we set off to find that dealership.
     We got there fifteen minutes before closing.  They assured us they would TRY to look at the truck the next day.  OK.  What else could we do?  We went to find somewhere to eat (McDonald's) and then to finish our journey.  I didn't say it, but my husband said I could...I told you.  I told you we should rent a U-Haul and pull my car behind to travel home in.  I didn't say it, but I thought it!  Anyway, as if we haven't had enough happen already, it started to rain when we finally got back on the interstate.  Does anyone else think this sounds like a country song?! 
     Two hours later - four hours since pulling off the interstate and sixteen hours since leaving home, we finally arrived to find a sign in the guest house that said - "This is a smoke-free, pet-free suite."  Well, the smoke-free was easy enough, but what were we going to do with the dog?  I'll let you figure that out yourself.    
     The next morning we began unloading all the stuff we had brought to make this new place a comfortable home for our little girl.  After we unloaded the trailer we filled it back up with boxes and trash because we had already overfilled the dumpster.  A couple of days later, in an attempt to sort what needed to go in the trash with what had to go inside, two of us (we won't point fingers, but they were the younger two) managed to break the tail lights on the trailer.  So now that had to be repaired before we could go home. 
     At this point, you should know that the U-Haul was over $200.  The truck repairs were over $800.  I have no idea how much the trailer lights cost.  Plus, we had the brakes replaced on the truck and purchased three new tires for our friend's trailer before we left home.  It was an expensive journey.    
     It wasn't all bad.  We had a fun week of moving and unloading and unpacking.  We laughed and talked, worked and collapsed together.  We treasured every minute because we knew a great distance would separate our family for the first time ever and for a long time between visits once Conally and I headed home. 
     Remember how in Part 1 of this saga my husband couldn't walk? Guess what! Yes, this trip caused the same problem, so he limped and ached the entire week, but he made it.  We got home without any trouble, though, and our beautiful daughter began a new chapter in her life's journey.
     I should have known when we bought that paint.  The paint she wanted for her new bedroom was named Adventure.  Was it an omen of things to come?  I don't think so.  I think it was just a fun way for us to always remember to always say, no matter what drops into our day...Hey!  What's life without a little adventure?

Paint, Part 1

What's life without a little adventure?  It's a question shared by me and my daughter since she was little.  Whenever our daily plan or route or routine was interrupted we would just laugh and say, "What's life without a little adventure?"  It got us through some fun detours many times.  How appropriate then that when she was getting ready to move into her first apartment this summer the paint color she chose for her bedroom was named Adventure. 
    If only we had known when we bought that paint what an adventure this move would be!  Please allow me to share.....

     We began the summer traveling the almost 700 miles to her new city to find an apartment.  Our little girl is now an adult and is moving away for grad school.  We spent the summer gathering furniture and things to make this new apartment home for her.  Then several weeks later we loaded up the trailer and headed back to move her in. 
     The drive from our house takes about 12 hours if you stop for gas and to eat, which we did. The first time we traveled I had booked a hotel through one of those internet services.  Big Mistake!  I've stayed in a lot of hotels throughout my life.  Some have been fabulously nice, but this one was by far one of the worst.  As we settled in to our "cozy" little space my husband hobbled around because his achilles tendon is messed up.  To put it more clearly, he couldn't walk.  So, Caitlin and I did what any loving wife and daughter would do, we left him there to go eat! 
     I really didn't intend to be gone that long, but it was late and we didn't really know where we were, so we just went into the nearest place we could find...after a quick walk out to put our toes in the sand.  For those of you who are wondering, yes, we did get him some food.  The three of us finally got ready to try to sleep.  The next day was going to be busy.
     The next morning my husband seriously couldn't walk.  We still had to apartment hunt, though.  Thank the Lord for GPS gadgets!  We programmed in CVS and headed that way.  I ran in to buy some crutches and then off we went. (We did get a prescription transferred from home so he could get a little relief from the pain.)
     We drove through a couple of complexes and looked at one other apartment before we found the complex we all thought was best.  After looking around there and talking with the agent, we signed the lease and headed back to our cozy little room at the beach.  That afternoon at the urging of my husband we all went to the beach for a little while.  It would be a shame to travel that far and not actually see the ocean, right? 
     The next day we drove around to find the best routes to the school, the store, the mall, and the nearest Starbucks.  It wasn't a vacation.  We went to accomplish a task - to find a safe and convenient place for our daughter to live.  Yes, there was frustration.  Yes, there was laughter.  Yes, there were roaches on the porch of the hotel.  But, hey, what's life without a little adventure?!  (Part 2 will come later - you won't want to miss it!) 

God, a Gate, and a Gun

Traveling with a group of people can be interesting on so many levels.  However, when God forms the group and unites their hearts, the things He will reveal are greater than any human could ever plan.  My third trip to Haiti this summer was awesome, as usual. 
     Our scripture for the trip, prayed over and chosen by our pastor, was Psalm 29.  Take a minute to read it if you aren't familiar.  The God of glory thundered on this trip. He took us to what has become, for me, a familiar place.  It's really a home away from home for my heart.  I want to share some of the highlights with you.  Hopefully I will stay away from the minute details that might put you to sleep! 
    Let's start at the very beginning....the drive to Atlanta.  We decided that since there was another team sleeping at the school, and since our pastor (who went a few days before us) had said he thought (that being the key word here) he could come up with enough air mattresses for us to sleep on, that we should probably go prepared.  So, we stopped at WalMart in Kennesaw.  Eleven of us on a mission.  A few of us grabbed a couple of bags for packing.  One went to housewares to get a bathroom scale.  Others headed to sporting goods and we all met there.  The clerk was excited to join our quest and scoured the storeroom for enough mattresses.  As we packed them in the bags and weighed them to make sure we would be under-weight for the plane we share Jesus with that man who so graciously helped us find what we needed.  Ready now to get on with our trip we got outside to find there was a serious lightening storm immediately, directly, right above our van.     
     Not wanting further delay we continued our journey to Atlanta in that storm.  The point of leaving the night before and sleeping in Atlanta was to sleep before the flight the next day.  Otherwise we would have had to leave home at no later than 4 a.m. to make our flight.  Well, with our side-trip to WalMart, the intensely heavy rain we had to drive through, and stopping at Taco Bell for a "quick" dinner, our ninety-minute trip took us about four hours!  Oh well.  We had fun - AND we had something to sleep on.
     The rest of the trip involved rain.  Heavy rain.  Both times at Miami we were delayed for hours because the airport was closed due to the storms.  None of that matters compared to the feeling of seeing friends when you arrive.  I heard a voice behind me as we came out of the airport into the mass of people waiting for their travelers.  "Vicki."  Turning around I found Ricardeau who quickly came to hug me and kiss my cheek.  The smile on his face told me I was in the right place.  Arriving at the school, stepping off the bus, seeing the children, and hearing my name again...."Vicki!  Vicki!  Vicki!"....It made my heart sing!  It brings me comfort and peace to my heart to know I am loved so far away from my American home. 
     It's not an easy trip.  We sleep on the floor on air mattresses (well, this time the ladies got two nights on bunk beds in the orphanage.)  There is no air conditioning.  No grass.  Some of the showers have a stream of water due to the ingenuity of the Haitians, but where I bathe I use a bucket to pour water over my body.  There is a gate at the road, and a man with a gun.  Twenty-four hours a day there is a man at that gate with a gun.
     I've never felt like I was in danger.  I have never felt like I needed to worry about being where I am there. This trip, though, I heard things that forced me to center my faith on the Lord and purposely be in His will.   
     Before dawn each morning from the compound next door I heard a call to prayer.  The children at the orphange hear it daily.  The wonderful thing about it is what happens at the orphanage at night.  Those kids gather, and led by one or two of the older kids, sing praises to the God whose voice strikes with flashes of lightning, whose voice shakes the dessert, whose voice causes the deer to calf.  They don't sing quietly.  They are loud.  They mean what they sing.  Oh, but you should hear them pray!  I can't understand their words, but the passion and their love for Jesus translates plainly and easily.  It comes from knowing Jesus is all they have.  Honestly, they don't have any hope if their hope isn't in God.  When they sing, their neighbors in the compound next door hear them sing of the Lord whose voice is powerful and majestic. 
     My time on the Poo Crew was surprisingly joyful.  We laughed, made up songs, a just enjoyed ourselves.  Now, that may be hard for you to believe when I tell you that the Poo Crew detail was to pass five-gallon buckets assembly line style to a dump truck.  Buckets full of Poo.  Yes, that kind of Poo.  We helped clean out the 16-foot deep pit that was below the outhouse which they hard torn down the week before. There really is nothing more I can say about it.  You just had to be there!
     It all came to reality for me after the Women's Conference.  This year we spoke to over 60 women...twice as many as last year!  At the end Pastor Franz came to thank us for coming.  In what was most likely a few short seconds but what seemed like eternity, he locked eyes with me.  Thanking us for coming he said, "You leave your home and come here to stay and sleep in very uncomfortable conditiions, but you do it because you love us.  You never complain." 
     I tell you this not to brag but to share with you that people are watching you no matter where you are in the world.  They see how you react or respond to the situations you are in.  They sense and know if you are loving them.  We didn't have a lot of time to teach that day (and time is even shorter when what you say has to be translated) so I can't wait to get back next July for our Third Annual Women's Conference at Eglise Baptiste Calvair d' Haiti de' Sarthe.  (For my Haitian friends, I hope I got that right!)  There is so much God is teaching me that I want to share with my sisters there!
     Once again this year, after our conference the women of the church set off on their own mission trip to the remotest areas of Haiti.  These women who are poorer than any American can realize have given their time and money to ride a cramped bus and walk to areas that really are not safe and have even less than they do.  All for the purpose of sharing the name of Jesus.
     God, a Gate, and a Gun?  The story comes to this question.  Wherein do you find your safety?  That day after the conference a horrible storm came across Sarthe.  At the church we could see what was happening, but were tucked safely inside the big church building.  Aware of the storm, we felt safe in the closeness of the walls and buildings around us.  Back at the school the area is more open and there aren't many places to go to get away from a storm like that.  The winds were hard and strong.  The man at the gate couldn't protect from the fierce winds that broke one of the very few trees in the yard.  Part of our team found a hallway to huddle in. 
     But God. 
     Psalm 29:10-11 say this:  The Lord sits enthroned over the flood, the Lord is enthroned as king forever.  The Lord gives strength to his people, the Lord blesses his people with peace. 
     My soul is at peace.  I know I will return to see my friends in Haiti, and I can't wait to step off that plane and hear my name!
    

Which Way?

     When I was growing up many of the roads in Chattanooga were one way.  The main roadways in and out of downtown Chattanooga could be traveled in only one direction.  A few years ago the mayor changed all that.  All those major arteries in and out of town are now two-way streets. 
     It seems strange to travel those roads in the directions that I was programmed were the "wrong way."  Last weekend I rode down one of those streets.  As my husband drove I was careful to notice my surroundings.  For over fifty years I saw those houses, churches, schools, businesses, and people from one point of view.  That night I learned to see them in a different way.  There are things you just don't notice until you turn around and go the other direction.
     The same is true in so much of life. We habitually do the same things over and over and over again.  At certain restaurants I always order the same thing.  Clothing is usually in shades of blue, pink, or black.  If I head for the beach, Tybee is the place.  Ice cream?  Ninety-nine percent of the time it's chocolate of some sort.  Always the same.  Sure, there's a little variety.  I have a green top I don't wear much.  Occassionally I order a waffle cone.  Not much variety, and not often.
     So, in church I have started sitting in a different place every week.  It's become a joke, really.  My husband comes into the sanctuary and looks around to see where I have landed for the day.  People in the room have starting pointing him in the right direction.  Funny.  Thinking about it now, though, I realize that we have begun sitting on the same side, on the same few pews, for about a month now.  I'll have to do something radical this week and move to the other side...maybe on the back row!
     As I think about my walk with Christ, I am understanding that my routines and habits have limited not only what He can do through me but also the things I have been missing.  Sadly, I have been looking at life from one direction.  I've missed out on the many of the little surprises God has placed in my path because I have been so focused on traveling to Point B that I haven't even noticed some of the beautiful blessings that I have hurried past. 
     What stood out to me most as I saw rode down that street from the opposite direction was the beautiful art projects someone has been painted on the sides of buildings.  Houses looked different because I could see the beautiful flower gardens that were tucked away in a hidden corner.  There is a church at one intersection that I have missed because it sits back off the road behind a house when I am coming from the other way. 
     In all this rambling, what I am trying to say is this:  I think we need to focus more on where we are today in our life journey than on the busyness of getting the job done.  In other words, we need to stop and smell the roses.  Stop and enjoy the people you are rushing by.  Stand still for a few minutes, turn around in a circle, take in ALL of the things surrounding you.
     God's promises to bless us abundantly.  Personally, I don't want to be in such a hurry that I miss out on the beauty of what He has planned for me today.  What about you?  Will you slow down, look around, and take notice of the things you have been missing?      

What's in Your Treasure Box

     What's in your treasure box?  Maybe you have things like I do.  A thank you note that my daughter wrote to one of her teachers in fifth grade.  Pictures of friends from elementary school whose names were long ago forgotten.  Tickets from some movie seen thirty years ago with my future husband.  A plastic ring that I once thought was a fabulous jewel.  There are some pins I received for regular Sunday School attendance.  Inside my box there is nothing that anyone would want to steal for its monetary value.  Inside my box are things that bring back precious memories as I gently look them over.
     I was sitting here listening to CeCe Winans sing Alabaster Box.  It made me think about the things I treasure.  Would these things I have tucked safely away be things I would be willing to pour out at the feet of Jesus?  Are they things that would be worthy of such an offering?  Probably not.
     Precious oil.  Valuable and costly.  Worth a year's wages.  Stored in a fragile and delicate vial made of alabaster.  The very best.  That's what Mary poured out, washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. 
     Listening to the words of the song, I am struck at how I have settled for second-best.  I have a heavenly father who adores me.  He gave his very best for me.  I don't fully grasp or accept that sacrifice.  Yes, I have placed my faith and trust in the blood that Jesus shed for me.  I understand and believe.  I don't live like I do.  Instead, my treasure box is filled with worthless momentos.  What would my life be like if I dumped those things and allowed the Lord to fill my box?
     I think there would be things like the view I have right now.  My daughter and her sweet friend Sara are parting for the summer.  After two days of giggles, secrets, and fun, Sara is heading to camp.  At the end of summer she will return to Berry, but Caitlin will head to Virginia for graduate school.  What do I see right now?  The two of them beside Sara's car, facing each other, holding hands, praying.  Not a quick Protect Us As We Travel prayer.  Deep prayer for each other to be who God created them to be and live it out in the different places they will be.
     There would be things like the song my girls and my dear friend sang yesterday at church.  Shout To the Lord was the song.  English, Spanish, and French were the languages.  After they had sung it in each language, the three sang together, each in their native language.  My Jesus, my Savior, Lord, there is none like you.  I couldn't stand it!  I leaned over to my husband and said, "We've got to stand up!"  So, up we went.  I stood amazed in the presence of Jesus that he has allowed me to be a part of touching the lives of people around the world, right here at home.
     Another treasure would be seeing the Lord answer my heart's desire.  He has opened doors for me to speak to women and share his Word.  Through the dream of my friend, Jenn, I have the honor of standing alongside her and speaking to women for the cause of Christ.  Soon we will travel to Haiti and once again speak to the pastors' wives and women of the church there.  Last year we spoke to them and found out later that we were equipping them to step out into their own country, to the poorer parts of the land, on their own mission trip. 
     Most treasured in my new box would be the pictures of those Haitian women dressed all in white, riding a cramped bus, walking the paths of the provinces... and the smiles on their faces. 
     In my old box there might be worries about time I wasted, but tonight there is the precious time I spent on the porch after dinner with three college girls talking and laughing and just being together. 
     Evening has come and I am loving sitting on my back porch listening to the birds as they sing their final songs for the night.  I am finishing up my nightly chat with my mom.  The girls are watching a movie, my husband is at a meeting at church, and the day is done. 
     Thank you, Lord.  The blessings you give are abundant and pure.  May they be the treasures that I hold dearest to my heart. 

Finally

     Finally!  It feels so good to be writing again.  Life has been crazy lately.  So much has happened that I don't know where to begin.  So, let me tell you the major story.
     About a month and a half ago my mom had some symptoms and wisely got herself to the doctor right away.  Within about three weeks, she had a biopsy, and within six weeks, she had a cystectomy.  Bladder cancer.  I'll go ahead and tell you now that she left the hospital cancer free after that and is healing well.  What I want to share with you is about faith and trust.
     Before we went to the doctor for the confirmation and diagnosis my mom said, "Well, I told God that I want to stay around for 20 more years.  Hopefully, I will. If he decides differently, I'm ready.  Whatever happens, God is in control."  That last sentence is the bedrock of her belief.  God is in control.  Even when you try to say things that will not sound like My Mom Has Cancer. 
     I would say things like: 

• She is having some problems.
• Mom is going to have her bladder removed.
• They thought is was a UTI, but it was a little more involved.

It's only now that I can say those words, "My mom had cancer."  Still it is hard to say, though.  I try not to.  I don't want to admit it.  I want to be in control.  Instead, I learned to wait and wait and wait while I learned to trust God in a new way.
     I hate to wait.  I learned to wait in waiting rooms, hospitals, and at home.  Over the couple of weeks that we were at the hospital, I sat a lot.  There's really not much you can get out and DO at a hospital.  First, there is the waiting area for surgery.  Sitting there in the morning, waiting on them to take my mom, wondering if the doctors and nurses slept well the night before, the process of listening for our name began.  We sat there after they took her to pre-op waiting to be called to go visit with her.  Then we sat there waiting on them to call and tell us surgery was going well. 
     The first surgery wasn't a hard to wait through.  For one thing, it wasn't as long.  For another, we thought it would be relatively minor.  It was.  It wouldn't give us the result we wanted, though.
     The second surgery was long - six hours.  We were in the waiting room all day.  The nurse was so good to call us every hour and report that she was doing well.  Finally we got the call that she was in recovery.  I could tell the doctor was pleased with the result when he came out.  You learn to read their eyes.  After the first surgery, he didn't really make eye contact.  This second time, he actually had a little spring to his step.  It was different.  He thinks he got it all. 
     What wonderful words those are!  Hope springs eternal, and it overflowed from that report.
     As the days passed, waiting for the pathology report haunted the back of my thoughts.  It would take a week or so.  As the time drew closer, I could feel myself falling into a dark, dark place.  Until that one Wednesday when we were finally being dismissed from the hospital and the question came:  "So, do you want to talk pathology?"  I had been sick to my stomach all day.  Fear was gripping me and wouldn't let go.  Somehow I knew today was the day we would know. What would he tell us?
     Margins negative.  Only one lymph node out of 11 had any sign of cancer.  OK.  Finally, he said it.  Those beautiful words that flooded relief into my soul.  "As far as I am concerned, you are cancer free."

Recalculating

     Our poor GPS lady is constantly recalculating our route.  Recently my family headed to Virginia Beach.  Since we have lived in the Chattanooga area our entire lives, we know that we need to head toward Knoxville to begin our journey.  From there we would need help from GPS lady.  The machine doesn't know that we know how to get going in the general direction of our destination.  So, we just turned her off until we got closer to Knoxville. 
     Once we got to Knoxville we turned the machine on so we would know where to go after we got north of the city.  Then we had to stop for gas...  Recalculating.  Recalculating.  Turn, turn, turn!  Go back!  You're going the wrong way!! Even though her voice is always the same, calm and level, MY frustration grows and grows the more she recaluclates and gives directions.  After all, we are just going to the bottom of the exit ramp to get gas and then we will get right back on the interstate.  Simple enough for us, right?  But the lady in the box has a job to do - to get us where we told her we wanted to go.
     At one point on this trip we just cracked up as the machine said, "Turn right, turn right, turn right!"  You know how usually there is a little pause between instructions?  Not this time.  She meant for us to turn and turn now!
     Then I started thinking about my walk with the Lord.  My God has plans for my life.  He knows where I am headed, and He graciously guides my way. I sometimes get off the path and head toward what I think is a greener pasture.  When I do, He gently nudges me.  "Turn, Vicki."  "That's the wrong way."  But, I don't always respond to his guidance.  Sometimes I have to just see what is going to happen or how far I can go before I come running desperately back. 
     "I know the plans I have for you."  The words of God to Jeremiah.  The words of God to you and me.  My Bible puts it this way, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you (insert your name here), says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."  Did you ever play the game with a daisy...he loves me, he loves me not?  Well, here it is!  He loves me!  God thinks about me.  He wants to give me a future and a hope.  It's enough to make a girl shout for joy!!
     God has a plan for my life.  For the sake of this entry let's say He has me programmed into his GPS (Godly Positioned Security), and if I follow, he will get me to the future he has planned for me.  I have to wonder, though, how many times he has said, "Recalculating.  Recalculating. Turn here.  Don't go that way."  I can hear him pleading, "Vicki, please don't go that way.  I have a better route planned for you.  It will get you to the life I have planned for you.  Won't you take this road and avoid the detours that are full of wasted time and unnecessary heartache?"
     Like I said before, sometimes I have to see how far I can go before I get desperate and come running back to the One and Only who loves me so much.  I have wasted a lot of time trying to make my own way.  I have endured a ton of heartache that I might have avoided if I had followed the road he had originally calculated for me.  
    Throughout the Bible we see a picture of God as a shepherd.  A shepherd who leads his flock to the safest and greenest pastures, always seeking the cool refreshing water for his beloved sheep.  Psalm 23 draws such a beautiful picture for us.  Here is how the Amplified Bible puts it:
     The Lord is my Shepherd to feed, guide, and shield me, I shall not lack.  He makes me lie down in fresh, tender green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my life, my self; He leads me in the paths of righteousness, uprightness and right standing with Him -- not for my earning it, but for His name's sake.  Yes, though I walk through the deep, sunless valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod (to protect) and Your staff (to guide), they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head wtih oil; my brimming cup runs over.  Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord and His presence shall be my dwelling place.
     Frankly, my friends, that's the journey I want to take.  One programmed into God's GPS with my gentle, loving, strong, protective shepherd beside me the entire way.  Heaven is my final destination because of the blood of Jesus.  I am going to take the scenic route beside the still waters and down the paths of righteousness until I reach the end of this journey.  What about you?
Vicki    

A Modern Day Proverb

At my church we are studying the Proverbs on Wednesday nights.  Actually, our pastor has challenged us over the years to read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds with the day of the month.  It's a good way to stay in the Word and consistently study how the Lord would have you live.  One Wednesday night recently as he was teaching, he gave me a modern day proverb to blog on.  So, here goes:

"I stop to think before I speak so I won't have to worry afterward what I said before."

Hmmmm.  Just thinking about it could inspire me to never speak another word.  That's not likely to happen, though!  If only I had always stopped to think before I spoke.  I've gotten better about it over the years.  I don't openly, forcefully express my opinions (too much) anymore.  I try to think before I speak, and if I ever completely achieve that I will certainly let you know!  In the meantime, let's think about what our relationships and ministries would look like if we did.
    I have noticed that people are anxious to talk about nothing particularly important.  It is easy to say something that hurts another person when we just talk for the sake of talking.  Sometimes when we are letting words pour from our mouths with no thought behind them we happen upon a subject that is difficult for a person who is listening to us.  Once a friend asked me what I thought about a particular issue.  I answered honestly based on my own experience, which was quite opposite from what she had been through.  Though my opinion wouldn't change about the topic we discussed, I would have used kinder, gentler words to express my thoughts had I know where her question had been based.  
     My point is this - when someone asks me what I think about something specific, I now pause to consider why the question has been raised or to ask why she is asking such a question.  Considering the other person should influence the way I respond, but does not have to change my mind.  So now I stop to think more often before I speak.  Here are some examples:
     I know a man who lost his job due to the downsizing of his company in the current economy.  That was over a year ago.  Today he cannot find a job doing what he was doing.  He's not lazy.  He's not delinquent.  He's a smart, honest, professional man who happened upon a great job one day and was happy to take it.  The thing is, normally that position requires a specific college degree which he does not hold.  So now, with the job market so small and competitive, he is not able to get another job in the same position doing what he has been trained to do.  That's a tough situation.  How would he feel if he walked up to a group of people who were talking about the lazy bums in the world who just need to get out and get a job?  He's trying to find one.  However, he finds himself in that over-qualified/under-qualified limbo.  Hopefully very soon he will be employed.
     Here's a story that happened to me after my first daughter was stillborn.  I was shopping with a friend who was pregnant and looking to make curtains for her nursery.  We were at the fabric store.  It was just a few weeks after my tragedy.  As the clerk cut the fabric the three of us chatted about the nursery decorations.  The lady looked at me and said something like, "When are you going to have children?"  Ummmm.  Bad timing. So, I said, "I had a baby just a few weeks ago.  She died."  Ummmm.  Bad response on my part, but is proves the proverb.  
     We Christians should be sensitive to the needs, hurts, and problems of everyone we meet.  We should think about how our words might impact someone whether we are speaking directly to them or if they are simply in ear-shot.  So, I challenge you this week to think before you speak.  Don't be the person who is just hurling daggers haphazardly around through the comments you make or the thoughts you express.  Too many people are hurting in the world today.  As Christians we are called to love. 
    
Here's some scripture:

     A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows.  A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.  The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.  Proverbs 18:6-8

Death and life are the power of the tongue.  Proverbs 18:21

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.  Proverbs 15:1-2

I want to be clear on one thing. Stand on the Word of God. You do not have to agree with something, nor should you if it is contrary to God's Word. This is not about being passive. It is about controlling your tongue, which can build up or destroy.  The old saying I used to chant as a child is not true!  "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  Once you have tossed the words that cause deep hurt, it takes that hurt a long time to heal.  Words can never be retrieved, so be careful what you say. 

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned wtih salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.  Colossians 4:5   

If I get this perfected, I will be announcing it to the world!  In the meantime, I'm going to work at stopping to think before I speak. 

Vicki

Walking On

Friends, I am driven to write this morning, and really don't know what I am going to write about.  I can tell you this, wherever the Lord is leading me, I want to go there!  Lately it seems that everything I read or listen to speaks to moving on.  Are you like me?  I grab hold of something and don't want to let go - and that's not always a good thing! 
     This morning the word going through my thoughts is change.  We women are guilty of using that word a lot - I'm going to change the way I eat.  I am going to get healthy and start working out.  I'm going to change my hair - color, cut, style.  I am going to change and become something different.  That's not the change I am talking about here.  Let's talk about changing to be who God has created us to be.  Most of us probably DO need to change the way we eat and start working out, but when Jesus called His disciples, he simply said, "Come, follow me."  He didn't say, "Lose fifteen pounds so I can use you." Neither did He say, "You really need a makeover.  New hair, new makeup, new clothes....then I can send you out to do my work."  
     What do we need to change?  Those of you who know me may or may not know about my tattoo. In case you don't, I have a pretty butterfly on the top of my left foot.  I love using the butterfly to speak about what God has done in my life.  He literally transformed me.  Changed me from living a dark, defeated life to living a life of hope.  When I tell the story I often say, "God changed me from a worm crawling through the dirt to a beautiful creature full of color and grace."  The question I have to ask today is: am I really walking an undefeated path of life?  I don't think so. 
     Sometimes I get bogged down and stuck in defeat.  It's easy to look back and remember what it is I used to do, how I used to think, or choices I consistently made.  I know the Bible says Satan is prowling around looking for ways to attack me and pointing out my past is an easy way to cause me pain.  I also know I have a defense, and that is Jesus!  He has given me armour to wear so that I can stand against the fiery darts that Satan hurls at me.  You see?  I really do need to change what I'm wearing and put on my armour every day!  Am I carrying a chip on my shoulder or am I carrying my shield of faith to stop the fiery darts that Satan hurls my way?  (Look up the armour of God in your Bible in Ephesians, chapter 6.)   
     Along with that wonderful armour, isn't it equally wonderful that we are promised a fresh start every day?  The Bible tells us that God's mercies are new every morning!  Now, that should make you shout!!  When this day ends and I look back over it, I will realize I didn't get everything just right.  I wasn't as kind as I really should have been.  I wasted time that I could have been helping a friend or talking to a shut-in on the phone.  I didn't speak out for my savior.  Whatever it is that makes you feel like a failure, it's ok.  Tomorrow really IS a new day!  Glory Hallelujah! 
     Walking on, I choose to follow the Lord.  Where will He lead me?  I don't know.  What will He call on me to do?  I don't know.  What I do know is I am going where He leads.  Currently I am reading a book about two college students who left school and lived on the streets for five months.  Right here in America they gave up everything, literally, to experience the reality of homelessness.  The more I read the more I am forced to examine my own heart.  How far am I willing to go with Jesus?  Is He going to tell me to live on the streets of Chattanooga for five months?  I don't think so.  What will I do if He does?  I don't know!  Maybe a better question is will I be willing to look straight in the eyes of the next homeless person I pass and say a kind word?   
     My friends, I want to encourage you today.  Walk on with Jesus.  The road you travel will be full of new and exciting things if you are willing to look around and fully experience the journey.  It's time to let go of those things we consistently hold onto that keep us bogged down and hinder us from living as God intends for us to.  Will you go?