My will...thank you for Thy Will

My Will (It is written)

 

John 6:38-40

"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

I talked about my visit home, last week.  There were so many lessons I learned while I was home.  Like Washington DC heat is so different from Charlotte, NC heat.  I learned that my mother's smile and hugs still bring me joy and peace like I am a five year old.

I also learned that life is short and long and amazing all in one second.  While I was home I saw a news report about a lady who was I choose to believe, having a regular day...Maybe she had gone to work (where someone got on her nerves and she questioned why she even started this career)  and maybe she talked to her family and told them she loved them (I hope) and that she would be home soon.  She got into her almost paid off car and began her regular path to home (she grumbled about the traffic) and THEN HER LIFE CHANGED!

An unknown vehicle struck her vehicle and caused her to fall off of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (pictured above) into the water below.  Now you know we all think about what we would do if we were driving across a bridge and our car fell off the bridge.  Some of you may crack the windows to be prepared, so that you can stabilize the pressure and be able to easily break the window when the power goes out because of the water.  Fortunately, I have an earlier model car that does not have power windows, because of this I am convinced I would be "a rolling the window down fool" for those few seconds the car was in the air. 

I have no clue what this woman's plan was, but she sure as heck had a good one, because she survived. She didn't survive because someone jumped in and got her out of the car, she survived because she got out and with broken bones, swam and held on.  She also had  enough common sense to swim to the closest piece of ground (a beam under the bridge) and not to the shore (which she most likely would not have reached due to her condition and the strong current of the river.)

Her WILL to live is amazing.  It wasn't her time.  She wasn't going out like that and she took action.

My prayer for you is that you take ACTION.  Not just letting life drive you around but, by faith love and the WILL of God, you do amazing things in this life!

 Here is a link to the article:

http://www.somdnews.com/article/20130724/NEWS/130729716/1103/Dunkirk-woman-survives-35-foot-fall-from-Chesapeake-Bay-Bridge&template=southernMaryland

There is No Place Like home

There's no place like home (subtitled - Ruby slippers are so in right now)

 

 

Romans 12:2
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect 

God thank you that where ever you are I know I'm home!!! 

This weekend was an amazing world wind of a weekend.  It was a road trip weekend and I was heading back to my home state of Maryland.  To celebrate a wonderful baby shower for my friend who is having twin boys who I lovingly call Beta and Alpha. 

Traveling home is a love hate adventure that I have been dealing with for the past 11 years, since I moved over 400 miles away.  I love to get there but I hate the drive, the packing, the shoes and things that I forever forget.  I do love eating at Biscuitville as I race to get to one before they close at 2pm (and if any BIscuitville representatives happen to be reading this - really would closing at 4pm really kill you?)

I noticed something this trip, actually I noticed it a long time ago, but that was before I was blogging.  As I head up 85 north towards Washington DC, my attitude slowly changes.  I start off happily driving along admiring the sky, the trees, not even getting annoyed when someone cuts me off and then proceeds to drive slow (I assume God put them in front of me to save me from a misfortune)  I sip my sweet tea and enjoy my biscuit with ham and jelly.

About four hours of commitment into this trip though my attitude starts to change as I hit 95 north.  Now at this point I begin to notice that I'm sick and tired of being cut off and slightly annoyed at all the dag-on construction and I now desire Popeye's chicken and ice tea!

If you live in the South Eastern part of the United States of America but are from the North Eastern part of the United States of America you really get this.  If not, just imagine if you lived in the country, peaceful roads a few cows here and there and of course good biscuits...But at least twice a year you had to travel to the big city lights, pigeons, and more bagels than biscuits.  Well that's how it feels to me when I travel home and my attitude and mannerism change. 

I grumble in my Northern town, about how people aren't as friendly and they drive too fast and it's just so dag-on crowded (not too crowded to get crab cakes!) I found myself annoyed by the entire experience and longing for good old country living. 

Then it hit me!  I was the one who was changing.  I was the one who chose to ask for ice tea instead of sweet tea.  I chose not to speak and be the bubbly chick that I am known to be in the South.  I chose to let the energy around me conform me instead of brightening my light and possibly being a blessing to someone.  Yikes!  I conformed to the world!!!

 
So the points of this blog...1.  Biscuitville should stay open at least until 4pm and  
 2.  Just because you are in the world doesn't mean you have to conform to the world, because you just might lose an opportunity to be the GREAT YOU THAT GOD called you to be, no matter where your ruby slippers land

Peek a Boo...I see you

Peek a boo I see you (No, Seriously I see you)

John 3:15 (NIV)
that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Thank you God for the gift the love.  Bless the people that read this where ever they need a blessing at in.  See them personally and right where they are.  In  Jesus Name I pray


Avatar is one of my favorite movies…It crept up on me out of no where.  I never saw it at the movies, quite honestly I didn’t even have a desire to see it in theatres.  I thought hmm blue people versus humans sounds like adult Smurfs. 

About a year later I was surfing the RedBox (A Video Concession machine) and I thought  hey why not.  Got the popcorn and the mini butterfinger bars to go in it (don’t knock it tell you try it because it is Yummy)

So about one years after the great Avatar excitement...I caught up with society.  Avatar is an excellent movie not just the way it is filmed, but the script is pretty deep and well thought out.  I know I've said I'm not deep but every now and again I get the poem or the underlying meaning.  There was a line in the movie that sticks with my spirit even all these years later.  The female in the movie told the man as a greeting "I see you".  

I LOVED this greeting.  It wasn't just "Howdy or Hey".  The statement "I see you" moved my heart because it meant (at least to me) that you acknowledge and  that you appreciate my existence.

Later I heard a church service and the title of the service was the greeting "I see you."  I pondered if they too had watched Avatar and was using this as a part of the service.  But Father Scott was way deeper than me.  He explained that this greeting of "I see you,(put your name here)" and the response of "I am here"  is actually a beautiful Zulu greeting!  Way older than Avatar.

I'm a Googler so this is what I found out about this on Google.
My resource:
http://www.kaustschools.org/uploaded/Special_Events/Sharon_Harris_Grad_Speech.pdf


 .The African Zulu greeting, "Sawubona" means "I see you" and the response "Ngikhona" means "I am here". As always, when translating from one language to another, crucial subtleties are lost. Inherent in the Zulu greeting is not merely a literal “seeing” but rather a far deeper acknowledgment of the other person.
Sawubona means: I see you, I see your personality, I see your humanity, I see your dignity and I respect all that I see.
***
Alright back to me - The above was my google find***
I went to Boston several years ago and I'm a pretty Happy go lucky chick so I was walking up the sidewalk and there was just me and a man who was approaching me.  I didn't have my southern accent then, so I said Hello.  The man never looked up, no head shake, or a wave.  I was invisible to him and it SUCKED and stayed with me all these years later. 

We are granted the gift of communication to not only benefit ourselves but to acknowledge and be a blessing to others.
Sawubona my friends!

NNNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

No - No No Nope, nah, um-um, Ni, (No the New Yes!)



Ecclesiastes 4:6   Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

No is one of the first words we ever learn. 

You ever wonder why as you looked with tired eyes at a baby who has said no to every question you have ever asked them.  Well no is a temple protecting word.  No can protect your sanity, your joy, your family, and your body.

It's a skill that we loose as we grow though.  We are eased into a world of yes.  Whether we are told to say yes to be polite or yes because we really desire something we say Yes and we get more.  But I believe you loose more too.  You slowly loose that secure imaginative place you had as a child, where you could verbally warn people to back up off you with a powerful.  NO.
Now when someone ask you to do something not only do you do it you allow them to take over your sanity, take over your time, and manipulate your emotions when you could have just said no.

Don't blame the people who ask, check yourself and ponder why you weren't honest and said No. 

Saying yes to situations be that at work or at church when you really want to say no doesn't make you a better coworker or Christian than me, but it can sure as heck make you more angrier.

I'm just a little old bird out here trying to tell you that No is not such a bad word.  No can be a peace giver a life saver and an opportunity in saying No to this world, might just open a world you never even expected.

Say no for protection, say no for your peace, say no for love of self, say no because sometimes its the truth.
 

No is a powerful protective word that we have not loved as we should.  There are folks out there right now that are feeling not compassionate and mean because they told someone No or even worse they are angry mad and frustrated as they put on a fake smile and suffer through some situation that they should have said no too.

Saying Yes or No doesn't make you a stronger better weaker or kinder person. 

Being true to God and yourself that is where the intentions of your heart dances!  

Start loving who you are and being ok on your decisions because you are basing them on a strong foundation of faith and love.  Love yourself, so you can love others - It really is the greatest gift EVER

Keeping it real

Keeping it real (subtitled for real)
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.

 

 A friend of mine posted on her Facebook what is it to actually be a real woman.  Wow I mean I know I’ve said it in the past “so and so is a real woman” and I would say that usually because she was doing something that I considered merit worthy – Like raising three kids as a single mom with two jobs.  Or maybe in reference to a man who I saw or heard about who was taking care of his children.  I’ve said it a lot in reference to a pastor or a minister when I feel like they are preaching good.

But honestly what the heck does it mean.  Does it mean that the folks who haven’t reached the standards I feel they should are fake.  Does it mean that women who wear Mac and eyelashes made in China are some how not real, because they have chosen to do something different from me.  So off I go to "Google It" to get me a foundation for the word real:

 

Let’s see what Google says about the word real:

Real

adjective

1. true; not merely ostensible, nominal, or apparent: the real reason for an act.

2. existing or occurring as fact; actual rather than imaginary, ideal, or fictitious: a story taken from real life.

3. being an actual thing; having objective existence; not imaginary: The events you will see in the film are real and not just made up.

4. being actually such; not merely so-called: a real victory.

5. genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic: a real antique; a real diamond; real silk

 

Alright we going hike up our pants and step in this thing for a minute.  So what is a real Christian is a person who never curses swears raises their voice or their hand.  Who always volunteers at church because heck they are there every time the door opens.  Or is it the one who can quote scripture and use words in there prayer so eloquently they sound like Shakespeare or just maybe the person who is a real Christian is the person who knows who to call on in times of trouble, loves his neighbor enough to console you when your down even though heck. Or the homeless person who has nothing but is still willing to share, because its in his heart.  Who you are is defined by the intentions of your heart.  That secret place where you God and your spirit meet to make decisions, comfort, laugh, and live.

 

I’ve heard people tell me in a shamed way I don’t know the Bible like you (yep there talking about me-well let me shock you right now-I haven’t read the entire thing-If I start at Genesis one more time I think I will have read at least read Genesis 66 times, which is the same number of books in the bible)  I get my thee thou and thy and verily verily all bundled up, when I pray. 

God’s love for me is know greater than his Love for you and the intentions of your heart is where he rest, that is where the real lives.

 

Keep it real in their!  And let no man define your realness not even a chick like me.