Share it! Shout it!

It goes away just as quickly as it arrives. Fall.  It is one of my favorite times of year.  The trees right now are just at a tipping point between clinging onto the last of their chlorophyll and turning into breathtaking shades of autumn.  The photo above does not do this tree justice.

It is one of my favorite trees where I live because it is an early-announcer... It changes into hues of crimson and plum weeks before the rest of the trees are even thinking about turning. It is the one who bravely proclaims, "It's coming! Fall is almost here!" It is eager to get our attention.

Christ followers, we are designed to be just like this go-getter.  In our own way, we can and should live out loud because we have the Best News of all to share.  In fact, The Kingdom of God depends on it.  We are all in ministry to show the grand love story of God.

As natural as it for that tree to turn plum and deepest red, it should be just as natural for us to share and shout from the roof-tops, "Christ is here, now! He lives in us when we choose Him!"  After all, if you can name ONE- just ONE blessing bestowed upon you because of choosing Him, then you do, indeed, have good reason to share.

We share other good news without blinking an eye... You have a baby on the way? Got an excellent report from the doctor? Saw a cute puppy video on Youtube? Really- we will share anything, but do think twice sometimes about revealing our faith, which ought to make 1st priority of all.

Did you overcome the impossible? Live through the unbearable? Was Christ in the center of that cyclone for you?  God preserves you, loves you, heals you, and provides for you.  Share it. Shout it.  Be the first to announce it.  You were designed to do so.


“Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples."  Psalm 96:3

Birthday Parties & Pity Parties

Yesterday was my 34th birthday.   I was feeling a little sad that my hubby would be at school and not home for dinner, and that I would not be seeing my parents because they were camping.  I woke up kind of grumbling, and was rolling it all over and over again in my mind.  By 7:15 AM, I made up my mind it was no birthday at all!  I was just Little Miss Entitlement, I suppose.  However, just like a light switch, I hopped off the pity party train with one realization....

I AM living the dream.  As cliche as it is, not only is it my dream, but also the dream of millions of others on this Earth whose birthdays come and go without much fanfare.  (Thinking of a little child whose parents are absent and tangled in drugs or crime or maybe the sweet mother living  in 3rd world conditions just trying to keep her head up in spite of the disparity that surrounds her.) Hang with me here.

As much as I love a cake and singing, and gifts, I have so much more than those millions I just mentioned.  I am living my dream and theirs, quite possibly in several countless ways.  I am blessed to have a home, and a family to call my own---in a safe community.  I have not only running water at the push of a faucet, but also indoor bathrooms.  I have enough money and resources to make meals 7 nights a week.  My teaching job feeds my passion for children, and gives me a platform to do GOOD in their lives.  I have clothes- new clothes- some rarely worn.  My car takes me from point A to point B.  I AM living the dream of many others.  I am NOT entitled to more.

Ohhhh, yes, I adore the scarecrow my Aunt Deb got me, and the new plates I asked Tim for.  But, I also adore my everyday conveniences that go so unnoticed and taken for granted.  Paper towels, washing machines, shoes, electricity, the basics, are truly gifts.

So as I wave good bye to 33, and hello to a new year, I hope that I can cultivate a culture of gratitude in my home and yours even.  Those little things are BIG things to so many others walking this globe.  No need for cake or candles, or even the well-meaning gifts (although very appreciated).  For, I am and YOU are blessed indeed.  


PS- my day didn't go unnoticed by my best friend who brought me cupcakes to work or my sister who cooked me dinner & took me for ice cream!!  I am blessed and spoiled.

We Are the Champions

You have probably seen the tee-shirts with über confident slogans on them.  Mostly from athletic companies, some can seem downright arrogant.  The one shown above is one I got for my son on a clearance rack about a year ago.  I thought it was cute.  After all, he is my little "champion."

I was in front of him yesterday, pushing him on a swing when the saying on it struck me as truth.  "Champion in The Making."  It was a moment of realization that we are all wearing this title in God's eyes.  If we have given our selves to God, He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).  We have won be because of the One who died for us.  Even more, we are always going to be in training while dwelling on Earth AND also living in victory, knowing the grace and grand love of God.

In my mind, to be in training, there has to be some effort involved.  Growing in faith doesn't just happen.  I thought about 3 things that are essential to my growing faith...here it goes:

1.  Show love- true love for mankind.  Make a difference in someone's day by taking delight in them.  Show love in the simplest of ways, and mean it.  Show love without getting credit for it, announcing it, or looking for a returned favor.  (i.e.- hug, compliment, pay for someone's lunch, make a phone call, etc...) "AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31“The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 


2.  Practice gratitude- deeply, genuinely express a thankfulness in quiet for all the works and miracles in your life.  As swift & winding as a life's path can be, we never can appreciate it all if we don't pause daily to be thankful for the little things.  Thankfulness is a lifestyle.  I truly love Einstein's quote, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."  Isn't the moon miraculous? Don't you love the miracle of a newborn? Your heart beats without you prompting it...miracle, right?


3.  Be consistent- if you mean to drink more water, do it daily.  If you want to spend more time with God, take some moments to retreat from TV, work, technology to do so.  Like a bank account, saving a little each day adds up to a large sum in the end. What you do consistently over time, is what you become.  Albeit little or trivial now, it can make for a mighty difference later on.  

Living as a champion in training doesn't mean there are no mistakes.  There will be. That is sin.  There are days that I fail miserably at all three... With the help of a loving God, though, we can have a hope of living in triumph in our fallen world.