"Where is your faith"..."If you are doing it for the Lord it will be a success".

God has been so faithful.  He has blessed our lives richly.  And our faith journeys have been full of peaks and valleys. Life is crazy and often spirals out of control.  God rejoices with us in the high places and celebrates the beautiful times.  Unfortunately, I find that in my faith journey I am the one who isn't always present in those peak moments.  I tend to forget how much I depend on His mercy and His grace.  Occasionally I have an attitude of " I only need Him when I want Him".  Then there are moments of great sadness and pain. Trials and tribulation or valleys.  When I am in those valleys of great sadness and pain I feel compelled to run to Him and seek Him.   I know that God is guiding me. He leads the way and protects me.  He is always there.

Funny how our children learn from our bad and good examples...

Over the past few months my youngest child has had more than his fair share of valley moments.  And as a mom it was difficult for me to hear of his tribulations.  But I knew that God was doing something big in this young man's heart.  Christian needed to be in the valley to reconnect with the one who calms the seas.  My son has always had a precious calling on his life.  From the time he was little I could see that the Lord was pulling him into the direction of being a servant, counselor, confidante, and friend. We often referred to him as "Pastor Christian" because of his ability to direct us to scripture in difficult situations.  He was a wise little man and loved the Lord.  I was certain that one day this boy was going to grow up to be a pastor in a church.  But that isn't at all the direction he took. No, the world was pulling him in a much different direction.  Boy did that apple look appealing to him.  Christian indulged in the trappings of this world one bite at a time.  He was honest and open about everything he did as he was taking (and still is on it) this apple digesting journey.

But let me tell you something quite profound...  There IS power in prayer!  My children have pretty much told me the good, the bad and the ugly about their walk with and without the Lord.  I have never judged them in the where, what and how's.  I have just prayed for and loved them.  I  tried to remind them that God has great plans for them. And attempted to point them in the right direction. God has a calling for my children, my husband, my grandchildren and for me too.

This past week I had a very deep conversation with my 23 year old son about  this very thing. We discussed deeply God's faithfulness and calling on our lives. At one point in our conversation he told me that he has observed that I, his mom, am not living up to my calling. I responded with, "I am so busy doing things that God hasn't called me to do and it is partially fear driven. What if I am not good enough. What if I finally finish writing that book?  Or what if my "pay it forward" pantry ministry is a failure?" And he responded with, "If you are doing it for the Lord it will be a success".

As our conversation continued I asked him about his calling.  And he said that at one point in his life he thought he was going to be a pastor of some sort.  But that in his head he thought that was the easy way out. How could he support a family as a pastor?  And he continued by stating that his life wasn't perfect.  He is still making unwise choices.  How could he be a pastor and eat the apple too?  I reminded him that we are all imperfect.  And that because of his imperfections he has a lot to offer.  He has this ability to give Godly advice to his friends, family and total strangers.  I have seen it and heard it.  And I have been the recipient of his friendship and counsel.

Time flew that night as we spent well over an hour building each other up.  We laughed once we realized that we both needed to take our own advice.  We all need to have more faith that God will lead us when we follow the calling that He has placed on and in our hearts.

He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and the marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?"
Luke 8:25

Tis The Season....You Are Worried and Upset About Many Things

This morning on the first day of 2017 I spent some time looking back on this holiday season.  There seemed to be this overwhelming pressure to buy the perfect and most wonderful gifts for our loves.  Everyone seemed to be frantic.  Phones dinging with the next great deal.  The lines in the stores were extra long and smile-less. Traffic was overwhelming. The highways and back roads were packed with frustrated citizens switching from one lane to the next in hopes of getting to the next big sale.  Children had their eyes glued to the television and their excitement grew with every "I want that" commercial. And here we are today.  Yes I found myself sitting Indian style on the floor in front of my overly decorated Christmas tree thinking about all the stuff in front of me.

Stuff. Each item in front of me was lovingly and thoughtfully purchased.  And as tears rolled down my cheeks I prayed.  I am overwhelmed with gratitude that God has blessed us with the ability to afford stuff.  But more overwhelmed with what was deep within my heart.  I never finished my shopping for "stuff" this Christmas.  I got to a certain point that I had no joy in my heart when purchasing stuff.  And I didn't want to wander aimlessly around the mall going store to store in search of the perfect gift.

The days leading up to Christmas Eve Eve (the day my family celebrates Christmas together) I found myself worried and upset about many things. I was so busy with the preparations to make our Christmas celebration perfect and lovely that I forgot what Christmas is all about.  Love.  Yes, God so love the world that He gave us, the world, His precious son.  And His son came in the form of a sweet baby that one day grew up to show the world how to love deeply.  Jesus never wrapped things up as a gesture of love.  No, He broke bread and spent time.  He embraced everyone and the only wrapping done was the wrapping of His love and grace around us.

We say that Jesus is the reason for the season.  But do we really mean what we say? I am not saying that tangible gifts are meaningless.  No.  I think that gifts are precious and thoughtful.  And often bring joy.  But I also feel that there is this overwhelming sense of obligation to buy stuff during the holiday season.  And to be honest I have a few people on my list that I felt obligated to buy for this year.

As I aimlessly wandered around the mall one night.  I had wonderful and precious alone time with my Savior.  I felt His presence walking beside me and whispering in my ear, "Kathleen, there is only ONE thing that is needed".  And me of course responded with, "Yes, Lord I know.  I am just trying to find that one perfect thing".  It took about an hour for me to realize that the ONE thing that was needed wasn't going to be found in a store or under the tree.  Like a 2 x 4 smacking me in the back of the head I felt joy for a moment.  I left the mall and headed to do something much more valuable than any present purchased.  I went to spend time with my daughter and her husband. And then came home to an empty house and sat quietly at my Lord's feet.

Time is the most precious gift we can give to each other.  Our lives are busy and often quite hectic.  And sometimes we are so busy being busy that we become overwhelmed and tired.  Too tired.  I am guilty of doing and doing too much that I forget to sit at the Lord's feet. I pray that as we begin this new year together that we stop for a moment and take time for the things that are most important.  Firstly, our relationship with God. Take time to sit at His feet and feast on His word. Seek Him with all of your heart, mind and soul. Remember that you are wrapped in His love and grace.  And next our family.  Yes, my hope for 2017 is to give the precious gift of time.  After all, tomorrow isn't promised.  So, love on those in front of you today.  And if tomorrow comes Praise God!  And let's make plans to have game nights, Sunday dinners, family gatherings, birthday parties, weddings and just time together.

Let's make 2017 a year of presence and not so much presents.

Out Of The Fog

 

I have been in a bit of a spiritual funk this past month and a half.  And up until this week I couldn't quite figure out why.  There is a force that has great delight when I am in a fog.  Especially when the fog is so thick that I can barely even see God.  I haven't been sleeping and I have been in a strange emotional place.  It's not depression.  It's not sadness.  It's just that I am foggy and disconnected.  The things that have given me joy seem to be less vibrant.  I normally read when I can't sleep but I just haven't felt the desire to read anything of substance.  I began listening to podcasts and found myself getting irritated by my headphones.  The words being spoken became jumbled every time I tried to adjust the earpieces.  I even ordered a headband that had earphones attached (Amazon is open at 3am in case you were wondering).  They arrived and were a huge disappointment.  I just got more and more agitated trying to position them on my head.  Eventually I just gave up.  And I became a pro at tossing, turning and staring into the darkness of the bedroom.

Eventually, I asked myself, "What the heck is going on?" And the answer was quite simple.  I realized that I hadn't been silent, seeking or sitting with God.  My ability to listen was nonexistent and the noise that surrounded me was loud, distracting and was consuming me.  The fog became think and dense.  And clarity became cloudy.

I had too much going in in the world around me.  Three deaths in a week and a half, a precious woman having health issues and surgery, a sweet young couple mourning a loss, a child making a tough but joyful decision, another child struggling with where their future will lead them, and co-workers who struggled with losses and life altering moments.  And the list goes on. My plate was full and I prayed and thought that I had offered this all up to the Lord.  But I never allowed Him to clean my plate.  The fog was so dense that I couldn't see His hand reaching for the fork.  I was tired and my heart was breaking.  These burdens were heavy and my head was too cloudy.

Finally, I knew what I needed to do.  I had to listen.  This was the only way that I would be able to come out of the fog.  I needed to come to the end of me and realize that God is God and I am not.  I have a horrible habit of making God less than who He is and what He can do.  As I sit here and blog about my fog I can feel God's hand waving away the thickness that has been consuming me. In Psalm 139 David writes, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." God's love is infinite and personal.  God is also infinitely wise and therefore able to plot the best course. Only a fool would refuse to let His infinite love and wisdom guide and guard their life and destiny.  And while the fog was thick I was lost and feeling a lack of direction God was ever present.  He whispered truth in my direction.  I just wasn't still enough to hear.

I decided that I needed something to remind me that He is God and I am not.  I am a sinner saved by His grace.  The grace that He freely lavishes on me every day.  I found a piece of fabric and braided three strands.  And placed it on my wrist.  It reminds me that God, the Father, is always there to guide and guard me.  And that God, the Son, has protected me from the pain of death by paying the penalty for the sinfulness within me.  And that God, the Spirit, is within me and floods my heart with light even when the fog rolls in.  I am overwhelmed by God's love, faithfulness, compassion, grace and wisdom.  And I am thankful that His mercy endures forever.

I pray that you are all feeling the blessings of our Almighty God.  If you are feeling cloudy I pray that you allow His amazing grace fill you with joy.  And that you too will come out of the fog and into His glory.

A Quiet Nook on the Balcony....A moment of fear and lack of obedience.

Summer has been quite full.  And God has been very present in this season. I have felt Him guiding and protecting me continuously in these past few weeks.

Life is never dull.  I remember as a child on occasion saying, "I'm bored.  There's nothing to do".  How I wish I could have bottled those "nothing to do" moments and save them for now.  I feel like time is passing so quickly.  One minute you are kissing your babies as they are swaddled in your arms.  And the next you are kissing them good-bye as they head off to another town, city, state, and or country.  

Greg and I love the precious moments when our children are all together in on place.  Those moments are few and far between these day.  So, we have learned to cherish the moments we have.  This summer we had a dysfunctional family vacation.  We had everyone in one place if you count Facetime with the west coaster for a brief minute. We rented a house in Wildwood, NJ for a week. The house was spacious. And timing seemed perfect.  As one or two of the children were arriving one or two were preparing to leave. Like ships passing.  So we didn't have to worry much about sleeping arrangements.  There were moments of laughter, tears, frustration, joy, tranquility and exhaustion.  Greg and I spent the week serving our children and grandchildren.  And there were moments they were serving us.  This wasn't the most relaxing vacation.  However, there were many many blessings.  

During our stay at the beach I found myself  a quiet nook on the balcony early each morning.  The tranquility of that time had my heart smiling because God's voice seemed clearer in those moments.  A clarity I hadn't felt in a while.  I was able to be still, get in His word, and do something I enjoy.  Sit at His feet.  I also had time so I began reading book after book after book.  And I stumbled upon a book that I couldn't continue reading.  Not because I didn't enjoy it.  It was quite the contrary.  The author of the book asked a few questions and made a suggestion that literally stopped me in my tracks.  And out of fear, and lack of obedience in the moment, I put the book down.  But the questions he presented lingered in my head the entire day.  And the answers quite frankly made me uneasy. "What if you faced the sin in your life this very day with a period of mourning?  Genuine mourning.  What if you spent time reflecting and grieving over the sin in the world around you?  Is thinking about this going to change or transform you? " All these questions were followed by a challenge to, for seven days, go into a time of penitential mourning.

Wow, right?!?  What if?  I have to be honest.  I wasn't prepared for this.  I found myself praying and reflecting on the sermon on the mount.  And within a few weeks it was clear that I needed to be obedient.  Everywhere I turned God was gently whispering to me about this "state of mourning".  I turned on the radio and songs would play that made me think about my personal sins and the sins of this mad world. Each time I went to church the sermon nudged me again.  Ditto with my list of pod casts that I listen to daily.

So, out of obedience I am going back to the book, "The end of me" by Kyle Idleman.  I know that there will be great blessings as I seek scripture to back me up on this journey.  I pray that the Holy Spirit guides me through the process and places a hedge of protection around me in my most vulnerable moments and also on my prideful moments too.  

A few years back I had set out on a period of mourning my sins.  I had asked the Lord to allow me to see the sins of my past and present.  As memories of the horrible and dark things I had done flooded my head and heart I just sobbed.  I found myself in tears and broken.  I was overwhelmed by my sinful nature and became paralyzed over things I had done and said in my past and even in my current place.  To mourn my sins wasn't natural.  I had taken on this whole "sinner saved by grace" mentality.  I knew that if I confessed my sins before the Lord, He would be faithful to forgive me.  And as a result I became arrogant.  I stopped feeling the pain and repercussions of what I was doing.  And let me be honest I was basked in God's grace.  It became almost natural for me to point out the sins of the world and others around me.  I had become quite the Pharasee. Yes, I was a judgmental sinner.  I could see what everyone else was doing wrong.  But I gradually became complacent in grace.  I took for granted what God did for me in love.  The ultimate sacrifice wasn't as clear as it should have been. 

I praise God for giving me the memories of my sinful past.  He promises us that He will forgive our sins.  And that when we truly come to Him for that forgiveness those sins are as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12)   During that sin memory flood Jesus showed up and became real.  I was broken and He was loving.  As I remembered each thing I had done I thought about the cost of that sin.  And the repercussion that each one had and still has today.  Gossip is the crown of thorns upon His head.  Hatred, the lashes to His back.   Jealously and bitterness the splinters from the cross rubbing as He carried them too.  And ultimately our sins of murder (if you think it you've done it), robbery (taking anything that doesn't belong to you...even if it was left behind), and selfish pride nailed Him to the cross.  

What does it mean when Jesus said, " blessed are those who mourn" and "blessed are those who are poor in spirit"? 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Which Can is Corn and Which is Peas....

 Labels can be really helpful and important.  And they can also be harmful and misleading. Have you ever thought about the labels we give to things, places and people? I sometimes wonder why Adam called a giraffe a giraffe.  And how did he come up with a name for everything? And did he seek God's approval for each thing and place that he titled?  Maybe I spend too much time pondering on this reality.  However, recently this label thing has left me feeling a bit perplexed.

 Yes, labels can be very important at times. For just a minute I want you to imagine you are getting ready to head over to the grocery store.  You have a list of items that you need to purchase.  Lettuce, avocados, red onion, ground turkey, cumin, coriander, a can of black beans, a can of corn, and shredded cheese.  Guess what you're m aking?  Anyway, you arrive at the market and you walk in the door.  All of the produce is thrown on a table like a pot of vegetable soup.  And the shelves are packed with boxes, bags and cans.  Nothing is labeled.  The boxes are all tan with nothing written on them.  Each can is missing it's paper wrapper.  And all the dry good bags are made of an aluminum non transparent type material.  It may be easy to identify the Lettuce, avocados, red onion and maybe even the ground turkey.  But be careful.  Looks can be deceiving.  You find yourself feeling frustrated because you cannot figure out which can is corn and which is peas.  You arrive at the meat counter and they have ground pork, turkey, chicken and veal all side by side without any label indicating which is which. They look alike but the recipe strictly calls for ground turkey.  Just then you realize that the prices aren't  on the shelves or the items you need to purchase.  Yes in this situation labels are absolutely necessary.

So what is the deal with me feeling so perplexed.  Well it's the labels we give each other.  I am not talking about the positive labels.  I am talking about the mean, horrible, disgusting and judgmental labels we place on the people we don't particularly care for or even know.  We are all guilty of shunning someone at one point in our life.

This morning I sat and read Ezekiel 16.  I had to read it a few times to let it sink in.  My understanding of this scripture is that, even when our circumstances take us to places where our friends, family and strangers will label us with a, not so appealing, name, our Heavenly Father still lavishes us with grace.

Nothing will prevent God from using what we would classify as "unusable" people. You see we are all addicted to sin.  If you look throughout the old testament you will find that God uses liars, adulterers, harlots and even people, like the ones we have shunned, to change the world. "God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him." 1 Corinthians 1:28-29 

I am pretty sure that Abraham, David, Solomon, and the woman of Ezekiel 16, along with others from both the old and new testament, would be escorted out of our churches if they showed up today. And I often wonder if Jesus showed up to a church service what label would we give Him? Would we run to Him?  Would our heart skip a beat?  Or would we label Him a street bum and request that He sit in the back to be less of a distraction?  Perhaps, we might find a reason to judge Him by His clothing or the color of his skin too.

When the world rejects us God search and finds us in the dumpster and showers us with His mercy and love. Then He pours His essence on us.  Clothes us in the finest garments.  Puts the most comfortable and fashionable shoes on our feet.  Initially, we are drawn to His side.  We wake up each morning and greet Him with a prayer.  We sip on that cup of fresh brewed grace and head out into the world.  Eventually the world seems to appeal more to us than the alone time we have with our Lord and Heavenly Father.  So, we gradually spend less and less time at His feet and more and more time in the world.  Only to wind up feeling judged, beat up, hated and confused. The world will take and take some more.  And when you are down and out it will beat you until you have nothing left to give.  The woman in Ezekiel 16 cared more for the things of this world.  She started out abandoned, rejected and alone.  But then in an instant was found and transformed into a princess.  Everything she needed her adopted father provided.  However, her desires for what the world had to offer became greater.  Her attitude was that of entitlement.  And she no longer wanted what her father, the one who found her abandoned in her filth as an infant, had to offer her. She left his side and went out to discover "herself".  She gave her money, jewelry, clothing and all her possessions away to anyone who would give her attention.  She even gave herself away.  And as time went on her life, along with her reputation, was ruined.  Every time she walked into a room she was labeled by the others. She was called a harlot, even worse than a harlot.  Prostitutes were even slinging labels her way.  There she was naked, cold, empty and alone.  The scars were too many for her to bear.  And just when she was ready to give up she hears a familiar voice.  His hand reaches out to her.  She hesitates.  How could he have known where to find her?  Why did he come to rescue her? She reaches for his hand and he pulls her to him and holds her so tight she can't breath.  Overwhelmed she cries and says, "Father, I am not worthy of your love.  I am a disgrace to your name."  Her father looks adoringly at her and kisses her muddy face.  He says to her, "You are a princess.  And those who know me will see that you are the source of my joy.  I have never stopped loving you."  He took her home bathed her, lavished her with love, and nursed her back to health.

Unfortunately the world will continue to be a harsh place to live.  We love to define and label people by the sin in their lives whether it be from their past or if they are knee deep in it currently.   If we are all made in His image why do we spend so much time pulling each other apart.  We should be blinded by God's unrelenting grace and His unconditional love. We need to stop defining each other by our skin color, hair, clothing, shoes, jobs and financial status.  And we must learn to forgive and reflect on God's mercies.  They are new every morning (Lamination 3: 22-23)   I  pray that the God of mercy and grace will renew our mercy for each other every day.  Not only do I pray the He renew mercy, but I pray that He'll make us tenderhearted.  God's grace has a divine never ending supply.  So, when the world gives you an unfavorable label just remember that your creator's name for you is the only label that matters.  God will come in and sweep you up and embrace what the world once labeled as an unworthy, broken, hot mess of a child and lavish us with mercy, love and never ending grace.

I.M.A.G.E

Are you ready for a makeover?  I know I am.  I want to be the best me I can be.  I want to be faithfully seeking God on a daily basis.  I want to see His truths more vividly.  And as I prayerfully seek these truths I hope that the lies that I have listened to over the years will fade.

Image is big deal.  And the more women I talk to the more I realize that I am not alone in believing that I am just not "all that".  And just like a lot of other women I have a tendency of picking out every flaw in my body.  And it just makes me feel horrible about myself.  So, what am I going to do about it?

The past few months I have gotten into the routine of reminding myself that I am a princess.  And that my Heavenly Father created me in His image.  Each time I find a flaw in my image I am decreasing the beauty of His image.  I am Made Alluring as God Envisioned I.M.A.G.E. And with that being said I have been waking up and having a sweet conversation with God.  Before my feet hit the floor I say, "Kathleen, you are created in God's image.  Yes I am made alluring, adorable, appealing, and amazing just the way God envisioned me to be. I.M.A.G.E.

I have been on many diet roller coasters and beauty regimens over the years.  I once did a costly wellness diet and was quite successful. But it emptied my pockets. I tried a few other things like the 7 day diet, The Master's Cleanse, and many others.  At first the pounds rapidly fell off.  The only down side was that once I went back to eating normal foods, that I liked, I gain the pounds back.  And I think those pounds brought a few extra ounces along with them. Needless to say I wasn't too successful. Like I said the one "diet" that did seem to work was too costly.  And let's face it I am cheap.  I needed to do something that didn't cost me extra money.  And I thought to myself, "what would happen if I gave up the cow?"   I was never much of a milk drinker or beef eater.  So, the thought of being completely cow free wasn't too alarming.  I went "cold turkey" so to speak.  And for almost two years I read labels, asked how meals were prepared, and the cow was never to be found on my plate or in my cup.  I lost a lot of weight.  My body was toned.  And I felt great about me.

Well, the trend was broken.  I started working at a desk job.  And along with the sedentary job I formed some pretty bad eating and other rotten habits.  I sit for 99% of my work day.  I walk about 100 steps to the lunch room, chat and chew for 30 - 40 minutes and head back to the desk.  My diet consisted of easy and on the go foods and that is how I reignited my passion for cheese.  And here I am today almost one thousand bricks of cheese later (enjoyed one delicious creamy brick at a time).  And now there are few pounds more of me to love.  

Let's start at the very beginning.  A very good place to start (hope you are singing).  The question is, "Where is the beginning"? Well, for me I thought it was going to be this past January.  I was getting ready to leave for vacation and I needed to weigh my luggage. I stepped on the scale and almost passed out.  In total disbelief I stepped off and back on again.  No change.  I was 143.6 lbs.  OUCH!!!!!  I cried and decided that once I returned home I was going to change my eating habits.  I absolutely need  to make that change.  Change is good!! Right?!?   Well not so fast.  Bad habits are hard to break.

In the past weight was never an issue for me.  I didn't need to exercise.  I could eat my weight in food every day and not gain an ounce.  But now that I am older my metabolism has slowed down greatly. And I find myself on the roller coaster of weight gain and loss.  After our vacation I got home and started walking every day.  By the end of February I was diagnosed with Shingles and Kidney stones.  I found myself pacing the floors to help alleviate the intensity of the pain.  This wasn't the exercise program I had in mind.  But it did get me moving.  I made some dietary changes and by April 1st I was a feeling thinner. So, I stepped on the scale and I was 138.6 lbs. I started doing the 21 day fix with my daughters and my body was changing too. By May 27th (Alyssa's wedding day) I was 127 lbs.  Yeah me!!  Hold on.  hold on.  It didn't last long.  I hopped right back on that roller coaster.  And started eating whatever and whenever I wanted. Yep, as of this morning I am back up to 132 lbs. You might be thinking that I am nuts right about now.  But hold on for a second.  On March 11th 2013 I weighed 112.4 lbs. In three years I gained a toddler (figuratively). That one thousand pounds of cheese turned into a 26 pound barnacle around my stomach, butt and thighs. This was not a change for the good. 

No better time like the present for me to make some better choices and make a good change. Yep, pick a date and stick to it. No matter what!!!  My start date is today! July 10th is the first day of the rest of my life.  It's not going to be easy. But, I will consume a lot less cow products over the next few weeks.  And hopefully I will kick the cheese and cracker snacker habit for good. I pray that I finally picked a date that I would truly commit to making the change.  And I am not doing this alone.  Praise God that I am part of a challenge.  Yes, a group of nonjudgmental, healthy lifestyle seeking individuals are taking this journey with me. And more important than those people I have asked the Holy Spirit to be my 24 hour a day coach.   Accountability, along with a plan, is the key to success.

Failure to plan is the plan to fail. So my plan is simple.  I will start each morning prayerfully seeking God.  I will remind myself, before looking in the mirror, I.M.A.G.E I am Made Alluring as God Envisioned.  Yes, I am made in His perfect image.  I will prep and measure my foods for the day (meals and snacks included) And stick to what I prepared. I will exercise each day for 10-30 minutes.  I plan to weigh myself every Wednesday and Sunday morning.  I will cheer myself on in all the ups and forgive myself in the downs. I will prayerfully slow down and eat only until I am full.  After-all my body is a temple.  I will hydrate and take supplements to maintain the inside of this temple too. 

You might be asking why I decided to share this with all of you.  Well, it's simple. We all took a journey together recently.  We discovered together how God relentlessly pursues us.  I pray, if you are riding that same roller coaster that I am, that you will make a decision to take this next ride with me as well.  There are going to be a lot of ups and downs.  But I know that by God's grace and His amazing love we will be able to accomplish our goals. It is for His glory, His honor and His praise that I want to make this temple, my body, the healthiest and strongest it has ever been.  And if you want to do this together let's lift each other in prayer and remind each other daily the we are made in His IMAGE.

Time To Grab the Lasso

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing." ~Zephaniah 3:17

This has been quite an eventful week for my family.  Our daughter, Ashley and her other half, Brian along with our niece, Laura were all traveling from Istanbul to spend the summer back home.  Laura was scheduled to depart on Tuesday and Ashley and Brian Wednesday. Laura got on her flight and safely arrived home on Tuesday evening.  And unbeknownst to her, shortly after her departure, there was an attack at the airport that she flew out of that morning. Ashley and Brian's flight home was cancelled.  They were safe.  Praise God! They both managed to get on another flight and arrived at JFK a day later than they planned.

My emotions seemed to be all over the place.  And my sleep pattern looked more like the the scribbles of a toddler than what "the sandman" planned.  This wasn't the first time fear for one of my children pour through my veins.  But this time seemed a little more intense. I played through some pretty terrible scenarios in my mind.  And my heart raced.  The world seemed too big for this mom to grasp.  All of our kids are out of the house and some live close while others are distant. I get little glimpses into their lives every now and then. And I absolutely love the little morsels they give me on a daily basis with phone calls, text messages, FaceTime calls and Facebook posts.  But this week I felt I needed more.  I wanted to hug each one of them and never let them go.  I came home from work on Friday and seeing Ashley warmed my heart and the hug wasn't just for her it was for me too.

Time to grab the lasso.  Yes, my thoughts needed to be gathered and brought to the place that I know they would be addressed properly; God's feet.  As I sat there praying for my husband, my children, my grands, my family and my friends I was lead to Zephaniah 3: 17.  God wanted me to rest in the knowledge that He is not only in my midst but in the midst of my loved ones as well.  He is a mighty God.  And even though this world is feeling too vast for me it isn't too vast for the One who spoke it to existence.  He is rejoicing over me and with me with deep gladness.  Things won't always go the way I want them to go.  There may even come a day that this world will break my heart.  But I know that I can seek rest in the palm of God's hand.  He will quiet me by His love and exult over me with loud singing.  Yes, He will drown out the sounds of this crazy mad world by singing His melody of unconditional love and abounding grace.