Dust

Hey y'all! Just wanted to stop by and see how you are doing?  I write to you with Hope and Encouragement this day.  If you are like me ... then you can understand where I am coming from.  Sometimes life is just so busy that I find myself going through the motions - just like the hamster running on his little wheel. While all the while I am on the wheel, so it seems, as though I am not going anywhere.  Usually - I realize then that I have allowed myself to be locked up on the inside and the obstacle I really face is my own self-doubt. That leads to negative thinking and bleeds all over the place right down into prayerlessness. It's not because I don't want to - it's because life keeps coming faster than the speed of lightning. Truthfully, what can we really do well at the speed of lightning? The truth is - scripture tells me that I should pray without ceasing. When the dog bites= pray! When the bee stings= pray! When the tire is flat= pray! and to do it all with thanksgiving. Prayers are as incense before God. So if prayers are as incense, then why wouldn't I want to please my Heavenly Father and flatter Him the whole day through and besides . . . the benefits are my own. Entirely.  That's what I call Love 101.


When I ask the LORD to search me, test me, examine my heart, soul, and mind - what in the world could I be thinking? It is then when I am really faced with the reality of who I truly am and who I desperately desire to become. Folks, it's hard being searched. YES - I said folks.  That's how I talk way down here in the South.  I love it!  YES!! it's hard being tested and sometimes I really don't want to share my heart with anyone - let alone be examined! The truth is, on my own - I really am nothing. Simply dust. 

The Bible teaches me in Psalm 103:14 that He remembers that we are made from dust. Oh LORD, thank you for remembering this critical detail - because this really does point to my own failures at times. Oh the flaws I could talk about. Or show you. I want to know HOW - can anything that is made from dust be truly expected to prosper and succeed on their own? Dust is usually swept away into the garbage pile.  But wait - I have GOOD NEWS ... when we are in CHRIST Jesus - His Word teaches that I am fearfully and wonderfully made Psalm 139.  Also you will find that you can do all things through CHRIST which strengthens you ... and me - Philippians 4:13. With HIM, all things are possible - without - it's just failures and disappointments.

Someone recently told me to do what I love to do.  I love writing and I so love to encourage people.  So here I am today, simply putting one foot in front of the other ... I am writing to you - in hopes that I may point you to the one that matters. The LORD Jesus.  The Hope of the world. The one that loves you. Loves me. He offers this Hope 24 hours a day. Seven days a week. Oh, and before I forget - this is me in the picture.  Just simple me.  I am just a plain and simple country heart that loves Jesus and wants to share Him with people like you.  

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Runners

Years ago when I decided to give my heart and life back to the LORD Jesus, somehow I really thought it would be...maybe a little more tidy. Or maybe a little more glamorous. Rats, if I'm going to be completely honest with you - I totally thought it would be down right safe, neatly kept, pretty in appearance, and all in order. You know -  like a good little Christian would be.  Just so you know - it's been anything but.  Some days it feels like the rug is being yanked out from underneath me. Or maybe an avalanche is chasing me down. Or ... I have felt the sweeping emotion of getting ready to ride right over a water fall. You know. The Niagara Falls kind. And the twist to it all - it can also be the most incredible peace I have ever experienced among the chaos.

To go right along with it all - I am learning in this walk with Christ, a good dose of humility. Sometimes it is just better to bow the knee for heavens sake...if I don't - then there will be a knee bending ceremony - hah! usually in my behalf. And it would usually involve more folks attending than I would ever want... 

Yesterday's discovery is what spurred this post. And ... this is where the humility resides.This week I began - running. Again. There... i said it. RUNNING...Everywhere I turn - the people I love and care about run. I fell in love with the idea at Christmas. You know how it happens right before the Christmas break - walk into a sports store and my level of pride quadrupled and I totally fell head over heels again with it. There is some real freedom experienced during a run. Years ago I used to run when I was in high school. Won a trophy. Yes, why yes I did.  Not a big one. Just a simple sized one.  OK ... so back to my story.  Yesterday I was reminded of some real truths ... and maybe my picture will help.

I don't know about you ... but when I run - it's never a pretty thing. I mean ... to begin with, the fact that I have too many pounds to let go of - should paint a very real and a not so pretty picture that running isn't something I really want to broadcast to everyone - as in "look at me" kind of thing. Don't ever look for a Facebook post or Instagram post displaying my time run, cals. burned, or that type of thing.   Trust me - there is no bling, bling with this runner. I long to be able to wear one of those cute outfits and look normal - as in - a smaller body, a healthy frame and mind - so that I wouldn't mind my picture being taken and posted.  

While running yesterday - it really happened - during my run I witnessed something that I couldn't forfeit the opportunity to take a picture and share with you.  Heaven knows - if I ever become savvy with videotaping via my phone, I just may post a video for you.  Trust me when I say - this was a pure joy moment for me.  At 37 degrees outside, I am wrapped with a cozy head band that was so tight I wondered if my brain could actually function. Thermals. Light wool socks. Running shoes etc.,  And if y'all know anything about me - well I love animals. All kinds.  And just last year - we moved onto some rental property that has been amazing for my soul.  It's land as far as you can see - open wide - on the prairie kind of land.  It has provided the most peaceful landscapes. Amazing sunsets. Breathtaking sunrises. And plenty of me and Jesus alone time. 

So I took off running and I headed towards the back side of the property.  Just beginning to enjoy the peace and serenity of it all. I began forwarding all of my thoughts over to the LORD. Certainly thanking Him for the day, the beautiful scenery, and so on. All of a sudden - I heard
along side the fence - my closest neighbors who just happens to be the cows next door.  Lots of them.  And yes - I love them so. And as you can imagine - the day was closing quickly, I knew I needed to run and then exit quickly so I could resume my trip of errands and then on to take my daughter to gymnastics.  So I'm super charged and in super focus mode and super happy about getting on that path to run ....  and again I heard a really loud charge of huff stomps behind me.  I turned around and looked behind me and all of my best and closest neighbors were running just as fast as they knew how to.  My simple soul was delighted to the moon and back and I laughed for joy. I looked up to the beautiful heavens and threw my head back with really wild and loud laughter. I thought to myself ... HOW MANY TIMES had I came over to the fence and called out to them in that silly, sweet, giddy voice that my daughter finds so very humiliating .... how many times have I pleaded with them to come over and just sniff my hand or have something to do with me.  For over a year - they have ignored me and have continued to eat and walk and play all the while ignoring me. At times I so believed they wanted nothing to do with me.  Until the day they saw me run by them.  It reminded me of some folks in my close circle that I happen to still be believing God for.  How many times have I begged them to take Jesus. How many times have I tried to give Him to them.  All to no avail. I realized yesterday and this week more so, that it wasn't until just this year that I didn't care who knew I was crazy about the man named Jesus. I don't mind posting non-stop about something that I know to be true. I don't mind risking my all because of the one who saved me. Just this year - I have totally decided to run with Him and go where He would have me go.  Just like the run yesterday...it reminded me of the runners in my own circle. They may not come up and take from me when I offer it. They may not act overly excited about my passion for the LORD Jesus as often times as I talk about Him.  But it reminded me of the promises that the LORD has given me in Romans.  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us... Romans 12:1 Keep running the race. Keep focused. Continue sowing good seeds. One day - they will run too.

This life I am in ... sometimes and many days it feels like a race.  A race to get the food ready. A race to finish the laundry. A race for everything that needs to be done in a certain time frame so that I can get to the next step.  Many times I have been entrapped by sin until this year I staked my claim - #newyear, #newme, #thankyoujesus - because I'm yours. 

Joshua 1:9

This is a year old story that somehow never got published...

Sometimes ... a person can hear the SAME thing OVER and OVER for years and NEVER fully "get it" OR totally understand it - UNTIL he or she really experiences it for themselves. As I began my day, inside our new dwelling, laundry beckons my call, boxes stacked up everywhere needs to be opened and put away, not SURE if I can find clothes to wear to work, I came thru the bedroom and caught a perfect glimpse of a beautiful moon setting ... I felt the LORD drawing me near. I turned off all the lights, sat down on my chest I moved in front of the bedroom window ... I watched the moon "set" in the East. I remember as a little girl - my Daddy would say "the sun rises in the east and sets in the west"... aha - this girl "gets" it. The one thing that stuck out ... as I looked at the moon - there was a perfect CROSS right in the middle of it. Now ... I wasn't in all the smart classes at school - so "scientifically" + I'm not sure what caused that .... but I know enough about the LORD Jesus to know when He is pulling me near to give this over spent body, soul, and mind a "perfect rest" in Him before any other junk has time to rise. As the moon was sliding down on this side of the earth I thought I would let you know the LORD was bringing it over to you now ... Joshua 1:9 resounds in my heart this morning... Be strong and courageous do not fear for I am always with you ... He is with me on this prairie and He is with you among souls that desperately need Him... stay strong.