A HEART INSPIRED

Dare I say that most people...I'll say, the secular's, believe that Christians have it made in the shade...or at least believe that Christians , themselves believe they have it made in the shade.... Not that they believe we posses some secret or gift...but that we are somehow disillusioned and naive. Nothing could be further from the truth...once becoming a Christian, and having claimed Christs' Victory over death, for ourselves, there is an onslaught of turmoil and inward suffering to be dealt with. The flip side of this is the gift of eternity spent in splendor with the living God and before that, the hope of it. When succumbing to faith and the 'belief in a greatness,' fathomed by our gift of imagination and eclipsed by the reality of this fallen world, we are given...new eyes. A new heart. A new voice. A new pair of hands and a new pair of feet. There is a desire that overtakes you...and it is to be pleasing to the King. We falter often and wish we ...

At the end of all things reasoned, you will come to a place of sustainable faith. After having exhausted every fiber of your being; not so long after you have suffocated on the smoke and haze left behind by the fiery embers of your stubborn will; you will hopefully collapse into the ever graceful embrace of truth. At the end of all the possible probabilities, you will come to a place of mercy. After having resisted, kicked and screamed, with every ounce of human strength you could muster; not so long after your lungs have filled up with the mud and muck of the ghastly turmoil you chose to dive into headfirst; you will blessedly set your gaze upon the One who can redeem all things. At the end of all the excuses, you will come to a place of salvation. After humbling your mortal self and getting truly honest and real with the man in the mirror; not so long after you've found yourself clinging to the cross, you will assuredly sing the praises of your Creator.  Every good thin...

Bianca's Poem ~2012 It's Bianca's birthday and she's turning eleven No doubt about it, she's a little piece of heaven Blue eyes and never ending, golden locks The voice of an angel, that girl, she rocks From footballs and sparkles, to jewels and more She lights up my world, she's easy to adore She's smart and funny and sensitive too She's a lover of life and all things true A great friend and confidant, she really does care Leave it to Bianca to always be fair She'll travel the world mile after mile She'll reach for the stars, just to make you smile No stranger to heartache, she's shed a few tears She's an old soul, so much wiser than her years She's quick to give thanks, to the Lord above She's been blessed with grace and such a sweet love The world is her oyster and integrity her way She won't hold back, she'll reach her dreams some day The time, how its flown,...

Christians have a language all of our own. In each others company we inevitably steer our conversation toward the direction of inquiring of the Lord's presence in our lives. We acknowledge Him and His goodness, we praise Him....we comfort one another with His promises. It really is a dialect, all on its own, unlike those of non-believers. I smile just thinking about it. Often, in the presence of a non-Christian, I find myself longing for this comforting dialogue. There is a term often used in Christian Speak...."Don't Believe The Lies". These lies are the untruths whispered to us...either in our own minds, through media and society, sometimes, through the people we choose to associate with, sometimes, even from our loved ones. These lies are not of God. They are from the deceiver. The one who comes to kill, steal and abolish. When I was much younger, I heard these voices whispered . You are not pretty enough; You are not smart enough. You will...

There is no other emotion or experience that I can compare to repentance. The true, deeper than deep, gut wrenching, life changing, blood pumping, fist clenching, labor of sorrow. Sure, repentance is an action we take, but more than that is the seed that begets a new life. A seed may seem small to the naked eye, but think about its sole purpose. Think about what it becomes. When buried in the rich soil, watered and exposed to the light, it flourishes into the very nourishing, beautiful and sustainable life source one could not have fathomed had it not been witnessed. We've all taken a seed and planted it in those cute little styrofoam cups in kindergarten. Some dark dirt, a little tender loving care, and a window sill and before our very eyes, sprouts a stem. A little more loving care, and some more sun light  and a leaf buds. Its magical to watch. A birthing.  From just a tiny seed. The source of our seeking stems in repentance. Receiving ...

She lay in the meadow, the stars above She lay in the fields, dreaming of love Her beddress clinging, on the dewy bed Her heart pounding, deep in her head The heavens they twinkled, made promises too The dreams lay before her, if she only knew That daggers would pierce, and the wound would burn That she held in her hands, the stone she must turn A life lived  and only half spent A life forgotten and scarred with regret She lived her life as best she could Sometimes bad and sometimes good Dreams she drempt and tears she wept Dreams were born and promises kept She heard a voice, so mighty and true She held out her hands, for what else could she do There is One, who knows her, in her shame There is One, who loves her, just the same Forgiveness was birthed, and given in trust Forgiveness was had, and lay in the dust The stars they grew dim, in the early dawn The lies of the past, no longer a pawn How the sun it rises, to give hope...

Tradition...heritage passed down through the ages. Memories you can taste, smell and feel. Just the thought of a moment in time, from days gone by and you are instantly transported through the years. Smack down in the middle of it all, good or bad. I feel like such an old-timer. A certain kind of breeze takes me right back to a day in Florida, on Christmas break with an old high school boyfriend. Don't know exactly what it was about that moment, but that particular breeze works magic in my hearts remembering. Sometimes just before dusk, the late evening sun shines through the trees, shadows dancing, the air so crisp, curtains blowing, birds chirping...lithlessly, I'm taken back to our house in Voorhees, kids tucked away for the night and me lying on the sofa with a cold beer watching Bridges of Madison County.The beer, because the two main characters had enjoyed cold beers together, which before the movie, was a memory from the novel. Kids playing outs...

Little girl maiden...a love so true. There is no other quite like you.                                                           long before, she was a twinkle in her mothers eyes long before, all the not so white lies this brilliant little creature had a measure of love bursting to the brim and a gift from above so different from her mom, who was hardly a twinkle at all so different from the woman, who couldn't recognize her call she grew up fast, she grew up strong with direction and love, what could go wrong the differences between them so big, yet so small no one could have known, how swift the fall little girl maiden, she held on tight little fists blazing, she took to the fight no one had ever, come to your rescue little girl maiden, she came to save you in her eyes, you can do no...

One of these days I hope to write and inform you that the last post you had read of mine will have been the last of the dreaded "D" word...although I don't think I talk about it all that much on here, I do refer to it in a 'round about way when I indicate the "thing" that brought me and my kids to this place in our lives. I wish this was the last time I wrote about that, but honestly....it probably  isn't. Ugh, do I dare, actually go there? Its not like I can escape it. Not even for one moment. Every hour of our lives revolves around that one fateful event. Its not that we don't embrace what the Lord has allowed our days and nights to be....its just that we are human. And we remember. We are living this new life and we cannot look away . The human tendancy is to either portray everything as if it were all glowy and great or gloomy and glum! Me and the children happen to have very fond memories of our old life. Just as for me as a parent, I...

Well, its Thanksgiving week. Hence the title. I know I'm usually positive and inspiring, uplifting and motivating....today, right at this very moment, though I am not seeing a lot to be so energetic and upbeat about. Ever have those days? But, since its time for another entry and I'll call it 'Protocol', I have to believe that by the time my fingers are done swiping and tapping at these keys, I will have managed to not only lift your spirits and make you smile, I will have walked away blessed as well. Many of you have been deliciously covering your FaceBook  pages and statuses with fantastic, moving notes of "Thanks". I have enjoyed reading them. I have laughed, nodded in agreement, teared up. I have even sighed with envy! I find myself so grateful for every small thing in my life that I feel as though they are not worthy or enough to grace the "Thanksgiving Page of Thanks" that is deserved. I 'll just go ahead and mention my 'smal...

We made plans three months ago, and the excitement was overwhelming! The day could not get here fast enough. My in-laws blessed us with a visit.                                        It was wonderful having them, we even had the opportunity to show them around a little. They got to see the kids schools and the beautiful town we now call home. We enjoyed dinner together, Grandmom helped the girls with their school projects, Pop~Pop tossed the ball around with the kids, it was a really nice evening. The next three days were filled with adventure, as it was our very first time to Disney! We got to go on all the fun rides, enjoyed amazing weather and had plenty of laughs. Stories were shared. Some old and familiar, some new. Plans were made for more visits and most of all our hearts were warmed and ...

Tomorrow, I will be graced with the gift of another year lived. Another candle  blown out. Another mile travelled. Another year survived. Another opportunity to make a difference. Big or small the opportunity is mine. I cannot fathom how the years continue to zoom past me as if I weren't even participating in them. Maybe, when I make my wish as I blow out my candle, I can ask for the next forty years to go by a little bit slower. I think its time I start enjoying this precious gift of life and my time here on this earth. I think its time I start celebrating.  I think its time I stop worrying about tomorrow and the troubles it may bring. I think its time I stop complaining. I have spent my whole life, as many of you have, running and racing toward this troublesome tomorrow, even though it is uncertain. Never really stopping to revel in today. Always on the move, hurling ourselves toward the next best thing. Today, however, I want to strive just for...

Funny little kids, they think they're so cute woke mommy up, playing the flute Trying to make breakfast, amongst the clutter silly little kids, slipping on the butter The pancakes, they're flying big brothers lying Blaming the chaos, on little green men sissy thinks he's mean, she's clucking like a hen Things were much simpler, when they were in the womb kids, they think their so clever. Ha! I'll just send them to their room Hurry get dressed, we're running real late please use your fork, keep your food on your plate The toothpaste is gone, the toilet is clogged now we'll never get there, the place will be mobbed Hair brushed, shoes tied, turn off all the lights cramming into the mini-van, mom rips her tights The gas tank is empty, there's a stinky kind of smell who didn't wash their feet, no one will tell Stop throwing gum, and pulling hair keep your hands to yourself, sit in your chair They smile so innocently, cros...