Highway

One morning, while driving to work, I found myself stuck in the morning traffic that I sooooo dread. Although it's short-lived on my commute, it's annoying nonetheless. But every morning, I reach the place where I get over into the exit only lane that NO ONE ELSE seems to take! It's always such a relief to lift that blinker and get over into that nearly empty lane. Everyone else is headed the same way, but not me, and boy am I glad!

Funny how that sounds much like choosing God's way of life. Everyone else is going the same way. And there are times that we find ourselves as just another part of the pact. But then, there are times that we are able to break free. We choose a different way...the "high" way. Where few are brave enough to travel, and even fewer remain on the path, we find ourselves in little (if any) company.

But the world opens up to us when we make that move. Obstacles that blocked our paths for so long are no longer an obstruction. We are spending less time sitting idle, wondering about life, and more time moving toward our goals, building the kingdom. If you are finding yourself stuck in the traffic of this world, get over into the exit only lane and let the Man Upstairs clear your path! Be Blessed. XOXO

Direct Impact

Have you ever noticed that, oftentimes, people around you are hurting? I don't mean a stubbed toe or heartburn, I mean real pain. People are sick, physically and mentally. People are broke and their spirits feel robbed. People are heartbroken and desperate. People are hurting in ways we could never imagine.

Now, take a look at how you respond. Do you look forlorn with pity and go about you day? Do you say, "I'll pray for you," only to NOT pray for them? Do you avoid their calls? Do you ignore their pain? Do you even care?!?

Truthfully, humans are naturally selfish, extremely selfish! As a result, we only seem to be most concerned and bothered by those things that directly affect us. We don't seem to have a sense of urgency, unless we ourselves are direct recipients of the pain.

However, this is not aligned with God's principles. First, we are ONE in the body, so when ONE of us hurts, we ALL hurt; when ONE of us rejoices, we ALL rejoice (Romans 12:5). Secondly, we are called to treat one another how we'd WANT to be treated (Luke 6:31). Not how we FEEL like treating people, but how we WANT to be treated ourselves! If we see a brother or sister in need, we are to help them as best we can (1 John 3:17).

The classic song, "Thank you Lord", thanks God for all He's done. But at the bridge the various renditions all belt, "It could have been me...outdoors...with no food...and not clothes...all left alone...without a friend...or just another number...with a tragic end...". This is the real! It's only by God's grace that WE aren't the ones who have been directly impacted by sudden death, incurable disease, miscarriages, layoffs, divorce, financial strain, homelessness, wayward children, the list is endless with all the things that people are enduring. Some of us have been here and have overcome. Some of us are hoing through a valley experience right now and we need people's help and prayers. Others have been abundantly blessed enough to have no clue what real pain feels like.

Many of us bear witness to the struggles and pain of our fellow man and turn a blind eye because it's too emotional, time consuming, and not on our daily agenda. What if God treated you and your issues, small or large, as an inconvenience? What if your prayers fell on deaf ears? I don't know about you, but I'm glad that's not how God is set up! And quite frankly, it's not how we should be set up either. If we are truly loving our brothers and sisters as ourselves, we are affected by their pain (Mark 12:31). When things affect us, we react. If someone close to you is hurting, we should also react. If you don't know how to help, start with prayer. Pray for them. Pray for their endurance and perseverance. Pray their strength and God's will. Then, pray for yourself to have the compassion and courage to do whatever God is calling you to do in that person's life. Be a blessing to someone else and Be Blessed! XOXO

Let the Father In

When my youngest son was sick, the ER team did a complete work up. They took chest x-rays, swabbed him to test for flu strands, and even had him pee in a cup! I'm sure you can imagine the fun he had with that! However, the last part was the worst part...they needed to draw blood.

Now mind you, this was his SECOND time to the ER in a matter of one week, so he was in bad shape. Couple the age of 3 with dehydration from illness and add a dose of poor nurses struggling with such tiny phlebotomy, and you get a recipe for disaster! They said to me, "Mom, we're gonna need you to hold him still."

I'll be honest, I suck at this. Not because I'm a softy (maybe a little) but mostly because I can never hold these kids of mine well enough. When they feel threatened in any way, they are SUPER strong! When he was four, while getting an immunization in his thigh, my oldest son actually broke a needle...like literally BROKE IT! And who was supposed to be holding him at the time? You guessed it!

Fast forward a few years, and here I am again. Looking at the nurses with a faux confidence convincing enough to fool the best of them. Then, my husband returns with my oldest son and sees right through me. Micah is taking it like a champ, but squirming and trying to break free nonetheless. After the second nurse is called in, my husband approaches me gently and stares into my eyes with a look that simply says, "Please get out of the way woman."

I oblige, and my how things changed. Micah is still because daddy is stronger and firmer. Micah is calm because daddy can hold his focus away from the needles better than mommy. Micah is crying, but he's not acting a fool because he kinda can't, he has no power against daddy. And it dawns on me...

So many times in life, we are tricking ourselves into believing we have it all under control. The world is convinced we have it together, and we're doing alright. But we know, deep down, we are a flaming mess! We are having a hard time holding it all together, but we cant let on, no way! Then, the Father shows up.

If (key word IF) we heed his presence, we slide to the side and let him handle the situation. When we do that, a burden is lifted from us. A peace sweeps over all aspects of whatever we are going through. That mountain in front of us has no power against our God.

So, when we find ourselves in complicated instances that test our faith, cause us to question our abilities, or simply shake us to our core,  we have to let the Father in. Once we do, everything works out for our good...just like He said it would. Be Blessed XOXO

Babies and Fools

This past weekend, I celebrated my 35th birthday. It was a blast! I had a weekend long celebration with family and friends, and I couldn't have enjoyed myself more. However, the last night, trying to be grown and classy, my friends and I went on a limo wine tasting. It was so fun. But, at the close of the night, I made a questionable decision.

The point of the limo is because I have thing about drinking and driving. What I didn't consider was that the limo WAS NOT taking me home. Duh! Now, before I left the house, my husband specifically said to me, "Call me if you need me to come and get you." Considering the fact that it's normally the other way around in our relationship, I may or may not have disregarded his sincere offering. Fast forward to what was supposed to be a 4 hour event becoming a 6 hour event that was extended by a small group of us who were so wrapped up in the moment we didn't want to leave! And what did I do? I drove myself home.

Now there are 2 types of people reading this. The type of people who can't believe someone would do that and the type of people who are thinking about how they too have been guilty of the same thing (probably more often than they care to admit). I prayed before I pulled off, and thanked God when I arrived home safely. But the next morning, I felt a level of conviction that I can honestly say I've only felt one other time and that was over 4 years ago. I asked the Lord to forgive me for being irresponsible, and I could hear my granny in my head, "The Lord takes care of babies and fools. I stopped being a baby a long time ago, but every now and then, I can still be a fool." So true. So very, very true.

Sometimes in life, we do things that are out of character. We make choices that don't seem like a big deal in the moment, but later we look back and feel a twinge of guilt.We act foolishly. We say to ourselves, "I'll just have one more drink." Or, "I can give her my number, that's not cheating on my wife." Or even, "I'm finna cuss this fool out and repent later!" Regardless of the questionable choices we've made in life, if we feel convicted afterward, it's an opportunity for us to self-reflect and seek God's lesson. Don't beat yourself up about it. Try to seek God's angle. Where is He coming from? What does He want from us? How can this experience grow us or change us to better live for Him?

Am I proud of my choice? Of course not. Did I learn from those uncomfortable feelings afterward? I believe so. Will I ever screw up again? You better believe it! But if we find ourselves in a position where we feel convicted or guilty or even question our decisions, we can pray this prayer, "God, what do you want me to get from this? I feel you nudging, please open my mind and heart to receive your loving correction. I know what I did wasn't the best choice. I know that you expect more from me. But I also know that even when I jack up, you still love me. Help me to not take that for granted. Guide me in your will and your way. In Your name I pray, Amen." Be Blessed. XOXO

I Got People

Sooooo...last week, my family had a very scary experience. When I picked my youngest son up from daycare, his teacher told me had been running a fever and he seemed to be tired all day. I thought it was just a common cold, ear infection, or even maybe even a late tooth because he's still so small. We ran an errand and were ready to go to praise dance practice when I looked in the rear-view and saw he just needed to rest. So, I decided to go home instead. I called my husband to tell him he wouldn't need to grab the kids from the church. As I brought him up to speed on our son's condition, I heard Micah take a gasp of air. I looked back in the rear-view and shouted into the phone, "He's having a seizure!"

I pulled off to a side street, hopped out the car, and undid his seat belt. I leaned him to his side, over the arm rest. As I stood in the street with my hands in my pockets, a woman yelled down from her porch to see if everything was okay. Knowing the seizure had to run its course, I calmly said, "My baby is having a seizure." No sooner than the words escaped my mouth, she was down at my car. She moved me out of the car doorway and laid hands on Micah right as his body began to calm. She prayed healing prayers over my son. Her husband later came down and asked if my son was sick. I told him he had been running a fever, but I wasn't sure what was wrong. The husband then said, "It's probably a febrile seizure. Our daughter had one when she was about his age. Take his clothes off and get him up to Children's Mercy. He's gonna be alright sweetie." Then, the woman hugged me and prayed for my strength.

I was fairly calm until that point. But in that moment when the woman hugged me and began to pray for me, I was overwhelmed by God's goodness.  Growing up with a mother who had seizures, I knew what to do in this situation. I never thought I'd thank God for the painful experiences of watching my mom suffer from seizures over the years, but on that day, in that moment, watching my baby shake, I was grateful to have been prepared. In His order and on His time. God's servant (Lady Kisha is her name) was obedient to come out and pray for us. Her husband was able to reassure me that Micah was going to be okay. God saw it fit to place me right there in that moment to be reminded that even in the midst of a scary situation, I got people!

Some of us are in uncertain times. Some of us are embarking on new territory. Some of us are making lifestyle changes or trying to answer a call from the Lord. Others of us are simply confused. We feel like we are under attack. We just don't know what else to do. Remember that you serve a God who has people. If He has people, YOU GOT PEOPLE MAN! Even when things are unclear, be available in the Spirit to receive from God's people. Be encouraged by their words. Be reassured by their presence. When you rolling with G-O-D...you ALWAYS got people. Be Blessed. XOXO