All the Same

    Comparison and division are two things we are taught early on in life and are part of human nature. What if we stopped comparing and dividing? We can make a big difference in this world if we set those two things aside and seek ways to live in peace. We can not agree on things, but we can still get along.

    Comparison hurts us because we can only see what the person we are comparing ourselves to shares with us. We do not know what they have walked through, are walking through, or what they will walk through. The devil likes to work that way. He wants us to see the other person's life through rose-colored glasses so we will lust after what they have; which keeps us from being grateful for what God has done for us. What would happen if we looked at the person who has more than us, and thanked God for blessing them? What if we took the time to ask if they had a need instead of assuming that they didn’t face any struggles?

    Division hurts us because we shut ourselves out from accepting others and learning from their differences. We often exclude those who are different because we are scared or unsure how to interact with them. We can learn from those who are different than us and grow to become more empathetic as we understand our differences. What if we took the time to listen to their story? What if we took a moment and asked how we could pray for them? 

    This world is becoming full of people walking around hurt and looking for the truth and to be loved. People are looking for a quick fix, a band-aid, and a slap on the back to help them get over the hurt they feel, but sadly, there isn’t a quick fix. There is hope and that hope is a savior who can fix our lives. His name is JESUS! He can stop the hurt and put on a soothing salve to ease the pain. Sometimes it’s the Christian who needs reminding of our hope in Jesus. There are many who are hurting who do not know him. That is when we as Christians need to step up and share what Jesus has done and is doing in our lives. It’s okay to share our struggles how else will nonbelievers know we don’t have it all together and see what a difference Jesus makes?

    Though we are all unique and created with different likes and dislikes we are all the same. We all need Jesus. We all have basic needs that need to be met before we can function as a normal human. We need to feel accepted and loved. We need to have food and water. We all are created in God’s image and loved deeply by him. 

    My heart hurts with all the comparison and division in the world. The young and the old alike are hurting. We have a great task before us. The harvest is ready, but are we ready to work? We may not be able to completely stop the hurting, but we can make a difference by giving hope to the hurting. It starts with looking within and asking God to change our hearts. Let the revival start with me and spread to those around me. When we realize we are all the same and need each other, we can come together, with God’s help, and make a difference in this world and add to the Kingdom of Heaven. 

“In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.” Colossians 3:11

First Things First

What are your priorities? Who comes first in your life? What do you spend your money on? A good look at your time and wallet will give you an honest answer. It may not be the answer you want, but it will be the one you need.

Why would anyone want to look at their priorities? Are you feeling tired? Burned out? Stressed? Overwhelmed? Then it would do you some good to slow down and look at your priorities. We all need to take a step back and look at our lives periodically to make sure we’re still heading in the direction God wants us to, but it becomes even more of a necessity when we find ourselves questioning our life decisions like the career we chose.

When we start to feel tired, burned out, stressed, and overwhelmed it’s typically because we are chasing after things we shouldn’t or we are doing all the work and not allowing God to have his rightful place in our lives. We tend to take on too much and then wonder why we are worn out. Our culture has led us to believe that the busier we are the better off we are. We think every day should be jam-packed with some sort of activity, whether work, play, or chores around the house. Stop and think, when was the last time you read a book or just sat outside? 

God wants us to enjoy life, but He didn’t create us to run on E all the time. If you find yourself running on an empty more than you’re running on a full tank it may be time to reevaluate your priorities. It doesn’t take much for them to get a little skewed and the next thing we know all the sirens are sounding, red lights are flashing, and we’re surrounded by negative emotions because the wrong priorities have become first in our lives. Even in the chaos if we keep the first things first we will notice God working in our lives. What do I mean by keeping the first things first? 

We seek God’s will. 

We live His truths and walk in His ways. 

We keep our eyes on Jesus. 

When we do these things our priorities will be right. We wake up each day thankful for another day instead of grumbling that another day is here. We notice a lil’ skip in our step. We become the light for others in their darkness. We see the good in each day. 

Jim Burns says, “The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.” I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. Our lives are too short to trudge through our days with scowls on our faces and beating the melancholy drum. So, let’s put the first things first and find that our JOY really does come from the Lord. 

Take a moment to click the link and listen to First Things First by Consumed By Fire. 

“You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalms 16:11

The Big Bad Wolf

     When I was in early elementary school I would knock on my grandparents’ door, and my Granny would answer, “Who is that knocking on my door?” I would giggle, and in my deepest, meanest voice I would reply, “The BIG BAD WOLF!” As she opened the door, she would smile and say, “The big bad wolf isn’t welcome here, but my lil’ girl is.” 

    Little did I know, the Big Bad Wolf, or as we know him Satan would come a-knockin’ at my door pretty consistently throughout my life. My dad died of a heart attack at 32, and I was seven. Two months later my mom’s dad died, and a month later a horse fell on my mom which broke her pelvic bone and caused her to spend time in the hospital. 

    The Big Bad Wolf was lurking and setting me up to fail. He huffed and puffed, but wasn’t able to knock me down completely. As if this wasn’t enough to cause one to stumble through life and doubt that there was a God who loved them I would go through more traumatic events. The above-mentioned trauma would cause me to have abandonment issues, and not only that but I dealt with suicidal thoughts as a teenager and into my young adult years. Depression, negative thoughts and self-doubt have always been a struggle.

    There is more depth to my story that would leave you scratching your head wondering how I turned out the way I did. I would love to say that The Big Bad Wolf stopped knockin’ at my door, but that would be a tale of its own. Just like anyone, my adult life has been riddled with bad decisions, heartbreak, and struggles. The difference is I have a personal relationship with Jesus, and even when my world gets dark from the storm clouds rolling in, and the waves won’t stop crashing around me, I know Jesus is in control. 

     Looking back at my life there is no doubt that Satan was out to destroy me long before I even knew he existed. My childhood was no cakewalk, and knowing what I know now, prayers had to be constantly going up for me to turn out the way I did. I wonder how often my grandparents prayed for the Big Bad Wolf to leave me alone and told him that he couldn’t harm me and that I would become a child of God protected by the God of angel armies. 

     My grandparents were Godly people who believed in God’s word and though they didn’t talk to me about their faith they lived it out every time I walked into their home. I was always met with welcome arms and could feel my grandparents' love for me when I entered their house. I never doubted their love for me.

    Even though I didn’t realize it at the time the love and prayers of my grandparents kept me going. I have no doubt that because of my grandparents’  faithfulness to God, the Big Bad Wolf couldn’t completely destroy me; although he sure did try. Satan would try throughout my childhood to knock me down and lead me astray, but his plans were averted. I sit here today, not because of anything that I did, but because my grandparents were faithful in prayer and by the grace of God. 

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16b

2022 wasn't so bad

     I meandered into 2022 with a little bit of excitement and a whole lot of uncertainty. The past three years had been hard for me and my family. Every time we would start getting back on our feet we would get knocked down again, and I was weary. I spent the last week of 2021 seeking God, reflecting on the year, and searching for a word to focus on for 2022.

    The word God kept showing me was restore. He was going to restore me, but I wasn’t sure how this was going to play out because I needed a lot of work. My weight increased throughout 2021 despite my efforts to lose weight, and my physical and mental health decreased. My spiritual health was improving but nowhere near where it needed to be.

    The first few months of 2022 were slow, but as I focused on what I needed to do to reach my goals I noticed my mind starting to shift. By the end of the school year, I knew God was restoring me and I felt a sense of joy deep in my soul. As I closed out 2022, I could tell that God definitely did what he told me and I was being restored, but I still have some work to do. 

God restored these things: My JOY- in the little things of life.

                        - in the mornings.

                        - in my writing.

                        - in reading.

                        - in attending church.

                        - in time spent with family and friends.

                    My FAITH- in God.

                                                             -in myself.

                    My MENTAL HEALTH - positive thoughts and counting my blessings comes more naturally.

         

                    My HOME - we were able to make our house feel like a home.

    Like every year, 2022 had its ups and downs, but overall it was a good year. I will gladly take it over 2019, 2020, and 2021. God was faithful as he always is. God did some major restoration on my heart and I’m excited about what He has planned for me in 2023. 

“Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little.” 1 Peter 5:10

Journey

“There's no journey like a shared one.” ~ When Hope Calls Christmas

    

   According to Merriam-Webster, a journey is an act or instance of traveling from one place to another. I don't know about you but I like to travel and I enjoy sharing the experience with my family and friends.

 I'm not talking about a vacation, for instance though; I'm talking about the journey we call life. Our journey begins the day we are born and ends when we die, at least for our bodies it ends. As we grow so does our independence, and depending on what hand we are dealt life is easy as a child or difficult. We begin to learn how to navigate this world with the help of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, teachers, coaches, and friends. 

    This journey that we are on isn’t easy and we need people on every leg of this journey. As I mentioned earlier, in the first leg of this journey we are surrounded by people who love us and do their best to guide and support us as we figure out life. As we enter the next leg of our journey, the baton is passed from family to friends as we become more independent from the adults who took care of us, and surround ourselves with friends who “get us”. Our friends on this part of our journey can help make us or break us. The people we allow in our lives are just as important as the people that we keep out of our lives. The choices we make as teenagers and young adults have a lasting impact whether we realize it or not.

    The baton is passed off to our significant other for the next leg of the journey and we begin to realize that life is not a sprint, but a marathon. The pace and stride we take begin to slow and lengthen as we make big life choices. When do we get married? How quickly do we want to start a family? Do we buy a house or rent? Is this the right career path? With all those decisions to make life can be overwhelming, especially if we choose to go at it alone. 

    Community is an important part of surviving the journey. We need like-minded people who share our beliefs and will listen to our struggles, and help us celebrate our successes. We also need people in our lives who won’t always be on our side. We need people who question us. People who won’t just go along with what we say and do, but make us stop and think about what we are doing and why we are doing it. Can I challenge you here? Intentionally seek someone who is different than you and befriend them. 

    Take this journey in stride. Allow people in your life. Seek God and ask him to show you who should be in your circle. Remember Jesus loved everyone but had a small circle of friends and an even smaller group that he knew he could rely on. Jesus had Judas in his small circle of friends, so it’s to be expected that we will have a Judas or two as well. We will face conflicts with people because we aren’t perfect and we shouldn’t expect others to be. We need to be like Jesus and love others for who they are not who we want them to be.

    I’ve always had a community that surrounds me, but I haven’t always accepted it. Acceptance. We have to accept that others want to be in our lives. We have to accept that not everyone we want to be in our lives needs to be in our lives. We have to accept that God will put people in our lives that we don’t necessarily want in our lives, but they turn out to be just the person we need for that leg of our journey. No matter the leg of the journey we are on, we should build and strengthen our community, serve and love others, and gain one more for the Kingdom of God.

    As this year comes to a close, and the new year begins I want to focus on the people that God has put in my circle. I want to create a community of people that I can enjoy this journey with. I’m not going to sit back and just be, I’m going to open the gift of life each day, and spread some cheer along the way. I will keep you posted as to how this new leg of my journey goes. Here’s to living life BIG, making changes to be better, allowing others into my circle, and sharing Jesus’ love with as many people as I can. When my journey on this earth ends I want to hear on the other side, “Good job my good and faithful servant. You ran the race well.”

Why The Donkey?

 I’ve been preparing room in my heart for Jesus this season. Today, as I was reading my devotional, my thoughts shifted from Jesus’ birth to the animal thought to carry Mary to Bethlehem and Jesus to Jerusalem. Yes, I’m talking about the donkey. I couldn’t help but think about Donkey from Shrek when I pictured the donkey, but after a quick giggle, my thoughts returned to Mary, Joseph, and their journey to Bethlehem. Donkeys are supposedly very stubborn, so why the donkey? What is the significance of Mary riding a donkey to deliver the savior of the world? 

Here’s a little tidbit that I found out about donkeys while digging to see why Joseph would put Mary on a stubborn donkey. These little guys are cute, but did you know they can weigh up to 500 pounds? Donkeys are used as pack animals; meaning that they carry goods for their owners. These animals tend to get a bad reputation for being stubborn when in all actuality they are cautious. They will stop and assess the situation when they sense they are in danger. The donkey refuses to move even when its owner tries to get it to move until it feels safe, hence the perception of stubbornness. Could it be that the donkey was the safest and most trustworthy animal to ride; especially for Mary who was nine months pregnant with the savior of the world?

The donkey prefers to walk, not run because it is very cautious about its steps and is acutely aware of its surroundings. This seemingly stubborn animal is actually not stubborn but an overthinker of sorts. I can picture the donkey plodding along the trail carrying Mary on its back being sure to not stumble. The awareness and pace of a donkey indicate that it was the perfect animal for Mary to ride for her journey to Bethlehem. 

The donkey was tasked to carry Mary to Bethelem so she could give birth to our Savior who to this day is still misunderstood. The takeaway from what I’ve learned from my tangent on donkeys is they are misunderstood; therefore they have a reputation for being stubborn and not an animal that people want to be around. I believe if you talk to someone who owns and understands a donkey they will tell you that they are loveable creatures that are simply misunderstood. 

Jesus was misunderstood, but those who spent time with him while he was on this earth realized he was something special. I don’t feel right comparing Jesus to a donkey, but it’s hard for me to not make this connection. The donkey is misunderstood and comes across as rebellious and stubborn to someone who doesn’t understand the creature. When the donkey is more reliable and trustworthy than a horse when it comes to carrying something important. Jesus seemed rebellious to the Pharisees and Sadducees, but he was the most trustworthy of all men. Jesus was carrying with him the message of hope and redemption, but he was most definitely misunderstood. 

I’m not sure of the significance of the donkey, and the last thing I want to do is make something out of nothing especially when it comes to the Bible. I’m not a theologian nor do I claim to know all the symbolism throughout the Bible. I hope this gave you some food for thought. I have a few more questions to leave you with as you ponder the significance of the donkey. How can we be more like a donkey? No, I don’t mean stubborn, as my family will tell you I’m already good in that department. How about being more trustworthy, and doing things in a calculated way that may seem odd to others but brings glory to God? After all, as Christians, we should stand out. Blessings to you my friends!

Laughter

          I’m not sure if there is anything sweeter than hearing a baby belly laugh. Their laughter instantly puts a smile on my face and puts me in a better mood. How many times a day do we laugh as adults? When was the last time you had a good laugh? You know, the laugh that has tears rolling down your cheeks, and you’re about to pee your pants. For most people, I would be willing to bet it’s been a while. We’ve all heard the old saying, “Laughter is the best medicine,” so if a simple smile can make you feel better, think what a good laugh can do. Laughter really is good for the soul.

            According to Paul Osincup, a humor strategist, "Research shows that at about the age of 23, our propensity to laugh begins to evaporate, we have more responsibilities.” With this being the case, most of us lose our sense of humor early in life and spend the majority of life not laughing. We become so serious and wrapped up in life that we forget to slow down, laugh, and enjoy the little things in life. There are many benefits to laughter, and the one that stands out to me is the reduction of stress. 

            Not only does laughter reduce stress, but it helps your mental health too. In a world where our mental health is on the decline I believe it’s important to remember what we can do to help improve or maintain our mental health. Laughter doesn’t cost a thing and can be done throughout our day. Laugh…go ahead, smile… Now think of something funny and laugh. Again, I ask, how many times a day do you truly laugh? 

            I work with a great group of ladies and we laugh daily. I honestly can’t remember a day so far this school year that we haven’t laughed. I’m also blessed to have a husband who likes to make me laugh, which means I laugh at home as well. There are times that he will do something or say something that I don’t laugh at, but then I end up laughing because I know it really is funny; I’m just being a stick in the mud. 

            We need to allow ourselves to laugh, relax and live in peace. We need to prioritize the things that are good for our souls. I have found the times that I am able to relax, laugh freely, and enjoy life is when I have peace. This peace comes from accepting where I am in life, who I am, and that God is in control. When I take the time to read my Bible and pray daily I am more likely to be in line with God’s will for my life. It’s not that life isn’t busy or difficult, but I have an understanding that God is for me and that is good enough. 

“For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6