Tour de Parking Lot

I find that the moments I remember and cherish are sometimes the simplest and easiest to make.  Today, my daughter wanted to ride her bike so we walked one block over to a church parking lot in our neighborhood so she would have more space. My husband carried a couple chairs and we even took a snack and our dog.  We sat in the shade and watched Taylor speed around the empty lot just talking and laughing each time she rode past us.  I had taken a picture of Taylor on her bike when I thought of having Taylor take a photo of her audience.  I absolutely loved this picture.  How often to we stop and just enjoy a moment with our spouse or child?  How often do we stop and enjoy a moment with our Savior?  Taylor wanted to know if her bike riding was similar to the people in the Tour de France and so we called this memory our Tour de Parking Lot!

Desires of Your Heart

This picture represents "the desires of our family's heart."  When we visit Disney World we are carefree and only think of being with one another.  We are overwhelmed with God's goodness and love for we know we could not have made these trips happen on our own.  Just today, a dear friend of our family's posted that she  has recently become engaged.  She has prayed for years for God to send her a Christian husband.  Well, the desire of her heart has happened!  We celebrate with her as a family.  We constantly see God giving true believers the desires of their hearts!  What are your heart's desires?  

Do you believe God can give them to you?  He really can!

God's Perfect Timing

I was asked months back to be the guest speaker for the First Presbyterian Ladies of Goldsboro for their annual Women's Banquet Dinner.  Each year, unknowing to myself, they choose a lifetime member and recognize not only her contributions to the ladies ministry and her church but really her entire life!  This year my favorite teacher from all my many years in college, Mrs. Lomax was the woman of honor!  She nor I knew she was going to be receiving this award but it was so very special.  After the award ceremony I was introduced and was able to connect the dots for everyone there.  I explained how Mrs. Lomax had inspired me in college to become a writer and now on the night she was honored I was her guest speaker.  God really does work in mysterious and lovely ways each and every day. She and I both were in awe of what an awesome God we served that we were brought together in this way on this very special night which neither of us will ever forget. 

Just a Marshmallow

Psalm 37:4 “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Have you ever given much thought to the fact that God hears every single word you utter and knows each of your thoughts?  I think we all know these two facts are true for it tells us so in God’s Word, but saying it and knowing it on a personal level are two very different things.  Recently, I was reminded just how much God cares about the simple pleasures we enjoy.  I witnessed, first-hand, how much God longs to make us happy and show His love toward us in very simple, yet amazing ways. 

On a recent vacation, my family walked into a candy store while visiting Disney World.  As we entered, we watched a man making candy apples.  Of course they had to have a Disney twist, so the candy maker used marshmallows as the ears so that the finished apples would appear to be in the shape of Mickey heads.  My daughter said as we walked past, “I would love to just have a marshmallow.” I didn’t give it much thought for I knew after all the times I had visited you could not purchase plain marshmallows.

We continued through the store, which was very long and winding.  When we reached the rear of the store a young lady, who worked in the store, approached my daughter.  We were celebrating my daughter’s birthday so she was wearing a special “birthday” button.  The young clerk wished her a happy birthday and asked my daughter to close her eyes while she grabbed a special surprise from behind the counter.  When my daughter opened her eyes she was handed a sticker and a marshmallow!  I almost passed out!  The marshmallow was unlike any one I had ever seen.  It had been dipped in white chocolate and then covered in beautiful pink and purple sprinkles.  Then it was wrapped individually in clear plastic and tied with a golden tie.  My eyes filled with tears for I knew who had sent the marshmallow.  The girl asked me if it was okay for her to have the marshmallow and I quickly said, “Yes!”  She was probably thinking she had upset me in a negative way due to my shock and reaction. I explained how she had just said as we entered the store how she would love to have a marshmallow.  There was no way this young lady had heard our conversation or could have known it was exactly what my daughter wanted. 

I hope you see what happened.  God heard a simple desire of my child’s heart and instead of giving her only what she asked for, He gave her MORE than she could have imagined she would have received.  That’s the awesome God we serve!  Our God is more than enough.  He is our absolute provider.  You see, I fool myself at times by thinking that I am my child’s provider and protector when He is those things for her.  I couldn’t have given her that desire that day but our living and loving God sure could! 

When you share the desires of your heart with God, He not only answers you but He always gives you more than you could ever imagine.  God will give you the desires of your heart and then He will add chocolate and your favorite colored sprinkles!  Never underestimate the power of our Mighty God and Savior.  He truly cares about each detail and moment of our lives.  I will never forget the moment when God handed my sweetheart a marshmallow and my love for Him grew even stronger. 

Lies

"Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart."

 Psalm 119:69

 

Recently I was told by someone that when someone lies about you it is important to "forgive and forget."  Well, I do believe that we are to forgive because the Bible tells us that we are to forgive as Christ forgave us, but I also believe that we are to remember in order to protect ourselves in the future.  We may also need to distance ourselves from certain individuals.  God gave us a memory in our brains for many reasons.  He wanted us to learn from our hurtful lessons and bad decisions.  We have to remember how we felt when someone said an untruth about us so that we will think before doing that to another.  In the past month I have seen an all out explosion of lies.  I have seen it with many of my students at school, I have experienced it from people I loved, and even from "church friends" who spoke quickly and did not check their facts.  Most of the people who have told falsehoods about me have all come and apologized and I have accepted.  I also now know to guard myself around these individuals.  That is not a bad thing for it will help to protect me from them in the future.  You know me, I went straight to the Bible and looked up "LIES" which I found tons of scripture about.  People have been hurt by lies since the Garden of Eden.  God does NOT like it when we lie about anything but especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.  I know this because I read it in His Word.  I encourage you to do the very same thing.  I know all of this has been a real learning experience and I am even more aware of my words and how they can break other people. 

Write What You Want

One year ago, this sweet man, Dan, contacted me and asked if I would be interested in writing a monthly column in his new magazine.  I was beyond flattered.  I remember asking him what my guidelines were.  He started explaining the length of the articles.  That wasn't what I meant at all.  I meant the religious guidelines.  To that he replied, "I don't have any. Write what you want."  I was in shock but so thankful.  Since then I have written for one year now articles that were given to me straight from the Holy Spirit himself.  God will open doors for you that man cannot and this was definitely one of those for our ministry!  Thanks, Dan!

Sea of Caregivers

When I see this crowd of people I see a sea of caregivers.  No matter where I go or what I am doing I come in contact with caregivers who are hurting, overwhelmed, or even hopeless.  God has given me a heart for these individuals and I immediately feel a connection to them.  Just the other evening, I was eating in a local restaurant with my husband and daughter.  While in the restaurant for only one hour, I came in contact with three different caregivers.  Each one's story was so very different but their burden and their struggles were oh so similar.  I listened to each one as they shared what they had been facing and how they were feeling.  I know from experience how precious that can be as a caregiver.  One was a young man whose fiance has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  The next was a couple who cares for their special needs son who recently had surgery.  The last was our precious waitress who not only moved to our town to take care of her grandmother that has passed away but also works full time while raising two young boys as a single mother.  Caregivers are real and they need the support and the love of the church.  My prayer is that those who lead our churches will see this need in each of our communities around the world.