Do you ever walk past the magazines at the checkout counter and view the “beautiful people” on the covers and want to run with your cart through the aisles frantically putting back half of the food items in your grocery cart before anyone sees that you had them there in the first place? I actually think that in this day and age of advanced technology the only reason they still print magazines with ink and paper is to guilt trip us at the check out counter.

Do you go onto your Social Media accounts and feel shame over the trillions of posts about what to eat, what to wear, how to decorate your house, how to raise your “tribe”, how to live a “perfect” life or a “messy” life, a “cluttered” life or a “simple” life?

Seriously, if anyones self-esteem can stand up to that daily bombardment, then I would question if they have a heart? Don’t get me wrong, I love the “Food Babe” and the “Paleo Community” as much as the rest of you do. But when my self-control is wavering and that cupcake is looking like the better choice than my kale salad with lemon juice squeezed on it, I feel nothing but defeated and “LESS THAN!”

I love the fact that people are using their god-given talents and passions and sharing successful ways to use them. But I fear that all too often we “FALL FOR” the lie that if we are not living this way or that, we are somehow “LESS THAN!”

God’s Words to us speak tenderly and firmly that we are “MORE THAN”, simply because HE CREATED US!

Psalm 139:14

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

The verse right before this one tells us that we were “knit together in our mother’s womb,” and that “God created our inmost being!”

God made you “MORE THAN!” You are His child and He cares for you! He created your “inmost being”, and that is the you He wants to see shine!

It is fine if you glean a healthier eating plan for yourself, but do not allow your weight or size to define you! God made you wonderfully and you are “MORE THAN” that!

It is fine if you acquire beauty and fashion tips from outside sources, but do not allow them to define your beauty. God knit you together and you are “MORE THAN” that!

It is fine if you gain organization in your home or office by simplifying your surroundings, but do not believe you are “LESS THAN”, if your home is full of clutter! God made you fearfully and you are “MORE THAN”, that!

If you live a “messy” lifestyle or a “coffered” lifestyle, embrace it because God knows you!

“He knows when you sit and when you stand, He knows your innermost thoughts, and He still says, “YOU ARE MORE THAN!”

So when we FALL FOR the lie that we are “Less than”, remember The Truth,

You are fearful and wonderfully made, and God says you are “MORE THAN!

TRUTH BOMB

WHEN THE WORLD TELLS YOU, YOU ARE LESS THAN, GOD TELLS YOU, YOU ARE MORE THAN!

Walk in His Truth my friend. Know that you are MORE THAN ENOUGH!

Speak Truth Love

Why is the loudest voice we hear, the most negative?

Seriously, I can receive fifty compliments and still walk away discouraged by the one negative comment I received. I have a strong feeling that I’m not the only one!

Sometimes we FALL for what other people say because we have a deep, silent insecurity that is triggered.

Sometimes we FALL for what other people say because it validates our own actions. Even if we know deep down it is not right!

Sometimes we FALL for what other people say because the enemy knows what causes us to stumble.

Truth Is, there is only one voice that we need to listen to! Only one voice to validate us, only one voice who tells us how to act, how to be, and how to live!

Our Lord Jesus Christ may speak to us in a ‘still small voice,’ but The Truth He speaks rings loud and clear!

What voice or voices are you FALLING for?

The voice of our Lord is tender, affirming and clear. Don’t FALL for the loudest voice, FALL for the One True Voice, He speaks Truth in a world full of counterfeits!

The only way to know a counterfeit is to know The Truth! The way they train people who work with money everyday is not by giving them counterfeit bills. They inundate them with the real deal. They study real money so when a counterfeit comes along, they can spot it immediately! They study the truth.

The only way to know The Truth God speaks over us is to keep ourselves in His Word of Truth daily!

I recently came across a list of Truths God says about us, about you and about me.

I have written these Truths down. I speak them out loud when I feel like FALLING over what someone else says about me.

I AM A CHILD OF GOD! John 1:12-13

I AM SAVED BY GRACE! Ephesians 2:8-9

I AM ALIVE TO GOD AND DEAD TO SIN! Romans 6:11

I AM SANCTIFIED! John 17:19

I AM A NEW CREATION ! II Corinthians 5:17

I AM A ROYAL DAUGHTER! I Peter 2:9

I AM RECONCILED TO GOD! II Corinthians 5:19

I AM FREE! John 8:36

I AM JUSTIFIED! Galatians 2:16

I AM CHOSEN! Ephesians 1:4

When careless words and lies of others cause you to FALL and dive into the sea of self-doubt, look up these scriptures, speak them out loud and let God’s Truth replace the lies from the enemy!

“So, I am writing to you not because you don’t know The TRUTH but because you do know the difference between TRUTH and lies.”

I John 2:21

God has made it possible for us through the power of His Holy Spirit to know His Truth and separate it from the lies of this world!

TRUTH BOMB

ONLY THE TRUTH CAN DETECT AND DESTROY THE LIE.

Lies are all around us friends. The enemy seeks to use them to cause us to FALL. Know God’s TRUTH about you, destroy the lie and walk in freedom! You are all that He says you are!

Speak Truth Love

I love the Fall season, don’t you?

I love pumpkin everything and truly can not get enough of my pumpkin spice latte’s! I love fall baking, fall decorating, fall dressing and most of all fall eating! I mean, why does pumpkin added to a cookie, muffin, cake, or doughnut almost change the course of history? Pure deliciousness in every bite! I love seeing the colors change from bright gold, to fire red, and that orange pop! I love walking through the leaves and hearing the crunch, crunch, crunch under my feet. I love apples and I love going to Apple Hill with the family! But by far the thing I love the most is the countdown of each and every day of October, then November until it is THANKSGIVING! I love my family, I love my friends and I love all things FALL!

As I say the word “FALL” over and over again, and I read it over again as my head turns from doors, to walls, to magazine covers, I am struck with a slightly different feeling of FALL. FALLING springs to the front of my mind. Why do I fall and what do I fall for?

So, it got me thinking…in this month of ‘All Things Fall,’ maybe I should take a self evaluation of what things I “fall for!”

Too often I fall for GIMMICKS! You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones that promise you will make a lot of money without much effort. Or, the ones that promise you will loose weight quick without exercise or diet. Or, the ones that promise your skin will look young and wrinkle-free if you simply smear this cream all over it.

A GIMMICK is defined as “an ingenious or novel devise, scheme, or strategy, especially one designed to attract attention or increase appeal.”

In a gimmick something is concealed or hidden to embellish the true quality of the product.

Each time I FALL for yet another gimmick, I tell myself, “never again.”

I ask myself the obvious question, “If a product is that affordable and that good, is it a gimmick?”

As I realize how easily I fall for “gimmicks,” I am reminded that the enemy is all to clever to offer them to me as well. Oh, he doesn’t care about how much money I have, how thin I am, or how smooth my skin is, but he certainly cares about how much time I spend with God in prayer and in His Word.

I FALL all too quickly for his gimmick of ,”it’s ok that you don’t have enough time this morning, do your quiet time later.”  My day goes by too quickly and the next gimmick I FALL for is, “You had long day, you are tired, do your devotion in the morning.”

Before I know it, I have succumbed to the gimmicks of the enemy, and my week has passed by with little or no time in prayer or bible study.

I love the season of Fall, but I do not like falling for GIMMICKS! They leave me bankrupt both financially and spiritually. My goal this season is to sip that warm, delicious pumpkin spice latte and let it remind me not to FALL for GIMMICKS! Especially those that come from the enemy of our souls!

TRUTH BOMB

KNOW THE TRUTH SO THAT THE GIMMICK WON’T CAUSE YOU TO FALL

“And you will know The Truth, and The Truth will set you free.”                                                                              John 8:32

Speak Truth Love

The announcement is out…It’s a GIRL!!!

This is the way Papa and I found out…

We cannot wait to hold this sweet ‘Lil Pumpkin’ in our arms!

In this world of overactive social media, where a friendships are wide and often shallow, it’s refreshing to know you have a Forever Friend that is with you till the end!

My college roommate and I have that Forever Friendship! We have never lived very long in the same area, but wherever God takes us around the globe, or around the United States, we remain Forever Friends! We have truly been through the good, the bad and the ugly together. You name just about anything life can throw at you and we have experienced it together. Our friendship grounded in Christ has kept our relationship strong and real!

I started college in the Fall of 1978. I was only 17 years old! I was scared, lonely and hurting from the recent break-up of my parents marriage. My dad left the family earlier that Spring, and I took off for college that Fall.  There is a beautiful story of hurt, sadness, forgiveness and restoration that I will tell another time, but on the road to restoration, one of the greatest blessings God gave me was my college roommate. Little did I know then, that we would become, ‘Forever Friends!’

This picture of me standing on a glass floor,  60 stories above the ground in the Calgary Tower of Canada, depicts how I felt leaving home and going away to college by myself!

Do you see me holding tightly to the railing? Do you see my husbands hand on my shoulder? (He had to walk out with me!) And, if you look really close, you will be able to see that my smile is actually more of a shrill than a smile!

Leaving for college with my family life at home shattered, and walking into the unknown, made me feel like this experience at the Calgary Tower.  I was gripping God with every muscle in my body, as tightly as I could. His secure, solid hand on my shoulder was the only thing allowing me to stand on my feet and not crumble to the ground. I managed, through His strength, to keep a shrill smile on my face as I walked into the unknown.

The first solid ground my feet landed upon was my roommate Sheri. My original roommate Susan, knew Sheri needed roommates and brought her to our dorm room. That was no accident! God brought Sheri into my life that year. We have shared so many life experiences together, some good, like meeting our husbands, sharing favorite places like the beach, Disneyland, the mountains and mostly CHURCH, and sharing favorite outings like lunch together, coffee dates and SHOPPING!We have also shared difficult times together, the death of our grandparents, her mother and brother, and many, many disappoints and betrayals. However, in the nearly 40 years that we have known each other, she has been faithful, committed, loyal and available to me ALWAYS!

She is unique, she is a gift, she is my FOREVER FRIEND!

As we were blessed to spend time together recently, I was reminded of the rarity of such a friendship. We live in a world that is consumed with SELF! We want our needs met, our desires reached, our space kept and our rights reserved! Friendships seem to be as disposable as our plastic water bottles. We drink them up and throw them out.

A FOREVER FRIENDSHIP is one that looks to the interests of one another. It thinks more highly of the other than itself. It is faithful and committed through the good as well as the bad. It stands the test of time and comes out shining like a jewel, because it is grounded in Jesus!

“DO NOT MERELY LOOK OUT FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL INTERESTS, BUT ALSO FOR THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS.”                   PHILIPPINES 2:4

I was reminded of a song from my college days, this past week as I spent time with my Forever Friend.

The chorus goes like this,

“Friends are Friends Forever, when The Lord’s The Lord of Them, and a Friend will not say never, because the welcome will not end. Though it’s hard to let you go, in The Father’s hands I know, that a lifetime is not too long, to live as Friends.”

TRUTH BOMB

FOREVER FRIENDS STAND THE TEST OF TIME!

Forever Friendships are not easy. They take commitment, sacrifice and steadfastness, but they are worth it!

Blessings Friends, I am privileged to call you that!

Speak Truth Love

When is the last time that you have TRULY been surprised? Actually, I could even ask the question, “Have you ever been TRULY surprised?”

Most of us have our antennae up surveying and checking out our surrounding environment the majority of the time. We are looking over our shoulder and almost anticipating what will happen next. We walk through our day looking behind us as much as we look in front of us.  This makes being TRULY surprised virtually impossible!

But, this weekend I was caught completely off guard. I was SURPRISED by my kids in the most wonderful of ways!

My daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren were coming for a visit on Friday. We were planning a BBQ that night and couldn’t wait for them to arrive! They live in the same town, (actually, the same house, but that is a blog for another time,) with our son and daughter-in-law. We were hoping they would all be able to come together, but unfortunately our son and daughter-in-law could not get away.  Our grandchildren came running up our sidewalk to the front door with shrill voices and hugs galore!  We went inside and sat on the floor together playing and laughing and still hugging! My son-in-law had come in intially and hugged us, and then was MIA?

I asked my daughter once, “where’s Craig?” She responded that he was taking the luggage upstairs. I thought nothing of it as I laughed and played with my grand babies on the floor.  My daughter walked in and said, “Mom, we brought something special for you and we put it on the porch.”  I got excited and looked at the smiles on my grand babies faces. I figured they had made me something and wanted to “surprise” me with it. With a shrill of excitement I walked to the door, almost scared to open it! I actually stepped back at one point, and shrieked. They all shouted, “open the door!” I did, and came face to face with my son and daughter-in-law holding a pumpkin and a beautiful pot of flowers. On the pumpkin was printed…

“Our little pumpkin is a _____________!!!”  Sorry, but I’m not allowed to share that information yet!

Soon, I will shout it from the rooftops! This is their first child and we are excited beyond for this amazing gift!

My son-in-law had been MIA from the house, because he had been setting up a video camera to record my “SURPRISE!”  I am not posting it here for you because I want to maintain some kind of dignity. Let’s just say, I was truly, utterly, and completely surprised and caught off guard. IT WAS THE BEST SURPRISE EVER!

I was actually wearing my “BEST DAY EVER” shirt and thought afterward it may have been God-ordained!

Surprises can be a gift or a curse. They can bring us the sweetest of news and bring joy unspeakable. They can also be devastating and deliver a message we never expected to hear. 

The dictionary definition of ‘surprise’ depicts just how strong an emotion and physical reaction, true surprise elicits:

“Being surprised strikes a sudden feeling of wonder and astonishment. It creates an unexpectedness of surprise and wonder.” It comes upon you as a sudden discovery of the unexpected. It makes an unexpected assault on something or someone without warning.”

To be “surprised” in a nutshell, is to experience a completely unexpected occurrence, appearance or statement. It is to come upon an awareness, to astonish or amaze. It causes a chemical reaction in your brain weather positive or negative. The way in which we react to that reaction is significantly dependent upon your individual, God-given personality.  

For example, my kids chose to surprise me knowing that my God-given personality is to express sheer joy that overflows to the point of embarrassment.  When you put me in a situation that is positive and I have had no prior warning of it, I am going to literally “overflow with pure unaffected JOY!” When they surprised me, they got the affect they wanted, and I was blessed.

However, in a negative “surprise” you are caught unaware, “blind-sided” so to speak, and left with a feeling of astonishment and assault. You are often breathless and frozen in fear, which can quickly produce anxiety.

We are human beings after all. Yes, created in the image of God, but possessing at the same time, a human nature that desires to be “in control” at all times!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”                                           Proverbs 3:5-6

Depending on our own understanding is simply our way of trying to control our circumstances. I use the word “TRY”, because we fail miserably at it. We are no more able to control our circumstances then we are to hold back the tide, but TRY we do! God is earnestly asking us to, “TRUST HIM,” to strive to follow His direction and plan for our lives instead of our own.  When we do this, He promises to direct the steps we take. When He is in control, we don’t need to be. His path is steady, sure and good. “Letting Go and Letting God”, truly produces peace and freedom in our personal lives. It opens the door to enjoy and receive the “surprises” that come into our lives. 

TRUTH BOMB

OUR SURPRISES DO NOT SURPRISE GOD!

The bottom line is, all “surprises” good or bad, are unexpected. The way we react to them is dependent upon who is in control of our lives, us or God? God is surprised by nothing! He knows the beginning from the end. I want to go with God! My way of dealing with life is self-focused, messy and unpredictable. God’s way is sure, strong and safe. 

We can not predict when or how life will “surprise us,” but we can purpose ourselves to trust in God to control the outcome. 

God is never caught by surprise!

Speak Truth Love

STEPPING TOWARD GOD WHEN YOU DO NOT KNOW THE OUTCOME IS RISKY!

Actually, it can be downright scary. To the point of making your stomach feel more than just butterflies, it can create a tsunami in there!

I recently found myself with a “tsunami stomach” situation just this last week.

I felt God prompting me to take a risk, trust Him for the results, and create an event that would not only meet the needs of our ladies at our church, but would also reach out to encourage ladies from all over our area.

I felt God telling me to trust Him and be ‘Strong in my Spirit!’ I mean after all, I’m in good company, right?

Look at Queen Esther, Mary, Martha, Mary the mother of Jesus, Deborah, Rehab… and the list goes on. But it is easier said then done! 

There is a reason they are my hero’s, they are strong, bold, confident, sure of their faith, courageous and bold. That’s why I look up to them. It is one thing to look up to them, it is a whole other thing to be like them!

I felt weak, a bit scared and unsure, and doubted my ability to accomplish the task God was asking me to do. Why would these women I wanted to invite listen to me? Would I be able to create an environment warm and welcoming enough to build them up and encourage them? Would I find the time to make sure all of the details got completed? 

Would the women come? Would the women care?

It was too big of a task for me! The tsunami in my stomach began to grow and it threatened to wreak havoc. Then it happened, the still small voice of my gracious heavenly Father whispered, “trust me,” all you have to do is “trust me.”

I began to reflect on the lives of my female heroes in the Bible. I realized that I heard the beginning and the end of their story, and had to guess at the “in-between” times.  I imagine they had butterflies and tsunami’s swirling inside their stomachs as well, but what I realized more than anything, was that they trusted God through the entire process. They did not quit, shrink back or give up! They trusted, God showed up, and His purpose was accomplished!

TRUTH BOMB

WHEN WE TRUST GOD, HE SHOWS UP!

I realized at that moment that the success of the event did not depend on my success, it depended on God showing up, and boy, did He show up!

We had a record number of ladies attend. Women from our church were there and women from all over Sonoma County were there. The comments during and after reflected their thankfulness for being encouraged, loved and treated special.

I realized that what happens in the unwritten, “in-between” time, does not determine the outcome. It is the beginning and the end that allows God to show up and do His thing!

I am so happy that I took that first step of faith, stayed in the process even when the tsunami hit, and allowed God to show up and give us one of the best times I have ever had with God’s Chicks!

I do not know what God may be asking you do, but I do know that if you trust Him, take that first step of faith, and stay the course when the waves hit, He will show up and do what only He can do!

I love that we are in this ‘Faith Walk’ together. That we are stronger when we gather together, learn from each other, and lean on each other when the going gets tough.

Christine Cain put it perfectly when she said,

“We grow ‘strong in spirit’ when we:

*Absorb God’s Word

*Pray

*Fast

*Read Christian Books

*Stay planted in a life-giving local church

*Worship God Regularly

*Stay in Community With other strong Believers!”

By absorbing God’s Word we read about and gain encouragement from women of faith who have gone before us, have taken those same scary steps of trust, and allowed God to “show up.” By staying in community with other strong believers we gain strength ourselves!

There is no limit to what God can do! Don’t allow your circumstances to grow taller than your trust in God, and block your view from what God can do!

Speak Truth Love

I have a “Cheerful Heart,” in my life and she puts a smile on my face each and every time I am around her. Her middle name is ‘RAE’, and she could not have been named more appropriately!  She is a ‘Rae of Sunshine,’ and she has a truly cheerful heart!

Her name is Allison Rae Swaney, and she is my daughter-in-law!  She is a cheerful heart who approaches life with her cup half full! She has an uncanny sense of humor, that some may call sarcasm. She calls it that, I do not. I call it ‘levity.’ She has the ability to take a comment or statement and turn it into a light hearted quip. She puts everyone at ease, and through her ‘Cheerful Heart’, puts a smile on everyones face. She is a joy to be around and accomplishes the task that makes me most thankful for her! She brings cheerful, light-hearted, joy and support to my son’s life each and every day!

She is truly a Rae of sunshine, a joy and a gift to me and today is her birthday! I celebrate her today and everyday and thank God for placing this ‘Cheerful Heart’ in my life!

The Bible tells us that a Cheerful heart is good. It is not being phony, false or two faced. It is instead being pleasant, bright, and expressive! A person in good spirits is someone who does not hold grudges, or think ill of others. They are someone who promotes cheer and makes others feel good!

This type of attitude is a healthy one!  The Bible tells us this in Proverbs 17:22,

“A CHEERFUL HEART IS GOOD MEDICINE.”

The medical field backs this up by letting us know that when we are cheerful and happy we produce ‘endorphins.’ These groups of peptides react in the brain to cause us to feel better, heal quicker and actually raise our pain threshold!

Having a cheerful , positive attitude is not always an easy thing to do, but surrounding yourself with a ‘Cheerful hearted’ person can raise your endorphin level significantly! It can put a smile on your face and a spring in your step before you even know what happened to you!

Truth Bomb

A cheerful heart brings joy to your life!

I thank God for my ‘Cheerful Heart,’ Allie Rae, and I wish her the bestest birthday ever!

Speak Truth Love

I have a beautiful sister who celebrates her birthday today! I celebrate her and thank God for giving me a wonderful sister who listens so well!

When my life with her started, I was bending down to sit on the floor and play with her. I was bending down to crawl on the floor with her and build block towers. I was bending down to give her a hug and a kiss. And, I was bending down to hold her hand and walk along side her as she began to take her first steps. I was only five and she was only one, but after all I was the big sister, and that was my job.

The years pasted quickly, sometimes way too quickly! These days both of us find ourselves well into our 50’s! However, to this day she has become one of the best listeners that God has put in my life!

She listens well, and she listens long. Now you may think I accidentally wrote that word… Long! But I didn’t! Some people will listen to us for a short amount of time, out of courtesy or out of obligation. Not my sister Lynnie. She listens long and she listens well. She does not constantly interrupt and interject with helpful tips or ways to end the conversation. She truly hears what you are saying and makes you feel cared for and loved as she listens to you intently. It is a gift!

God offers the same gift to us through prayer. God not only answers our prayers when we pray them to Him, but He tells us that He bends down to where we are, and He listens.

“Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath.”

Psalm 116:2

When my sister was younger, I bent down to her to have a relationship with her. She was not my same age, and she was not my same size, so I bent down to her. As she grew up and we became equals, she began bending down to me to listen when I needed her.

In the dictionary, one of the definitions of the bend is, “ to cause, to submit, or yield; to bend to one’s will.” When we choose to bend down and are not “broken“, we are submitting our will to the will of someone else. That is what our heavenly Father does for us! When we pray He bends down and He listens! I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just need someone to listen! This world is tough and life gets difficult. Sometimes I may have the answer, and sometimes I may not, but I always need someone to show me they care by bending down and listening. God is always there for me and He always bends down and listens when I pray!

“When you pray, I will listen.” Jeremiah 29:12

TRUTH BOMB

Our Heavenly Father bends down when we reach up.

“I am praying to you because I know you will answer, oh God. Bend down and listen as I pray.”  Psalm 17:6

God is always willing to bend down and listen! All we have to do is reach up to Him!

Are you reaching up?

Are you frustrated and struggling with an area of your life? 

Are you reaching up to your heavenly Father?

Are you tired and weary from life being so “daily?”

Are you reaching up to your heavenly Father?

Are you dealing with a situation bigger than yourself? 

Are you reaching up to your heavenly Father?

Just reach up! Your heavenly Father is faithful! He will bend down, and He will listen!

Happy Birthday Lynnie! I love you!

Speak Truth Love

This week I have had a bird at my window. Actually, at my windows, plural!

My favorite part of our home is our ten, large, rectangular windows in our front room/dining room. They are followed by a large sliding glass door leading to the outside patio.  You read that correctly…I have ten large rectangular windows in my front living room! While it may be an architectural wonder, it is truly my favorite feature of our home. Some may call it “wasted space”, but I call it marvelous! The ten windows below are covered with white wood blinds, but all five of the top windows are uncovered, allowing the beautiful outside, inside! From the first step I took into this home, my eyes were drawn up to the five uncovered widows. Out of them I see oak trees from every angle, with their branches intertwined, creating a painting like view. Peeping though the branches of the oak trees is the sky and clouds. On clear days the sky is blue and the clouds are puffy white. On darker days, the sky is grey and the clouds are flat with dark hues underlining their forms. But those trees are always there, visible from every angle and every level. I wake up to them as I begin my approach downstairs to the kitchen for my first cup of coffee each morning. I stare out at them as my feet descend down each individual step of the staircase. I sit and gaze up at them from my spot on our sofa as I begin my morning prayer time with God. I LOVE these windows! My favorite part is that they bring the outside into me, as I sit comfy and cozy on my sofa and gaze out of them.

This week something crazy happened at my windows, that I have never seen happen before.

I heard a soft banging sound and began looking around my home. It sounded like it was up high, so I glanced up and saw a small bird fluttering like mad and hitting my window again and again.

At first it was beautiful to watch. It did not seem to be hitting the window too harshly, and did not seem to be hurting itself. I stood and watched for some time, thinking it would become exhausted and stop. It didn’t stop! My grandbabies were in the house with me and my grandson said, “Mamma, you should open the door and let the bird in!” As I explained to him that the outside was his home, and if we let him in he would be trapped, panic and eventually die, I realized God may be teaching me a lesson through this tiny bird visitor.

Why was this little, winged creature so discontented with his outside surroundings, and so desperate trying to get inside to different surroundings?

I was convinced that it must be the fact that she had a nest somewhere above or beside the window. I looked outside and there was no nest!

Then something even stranger took place. I woke up the following morning to the same soft banging sound, and watched my tiny friend flutter and fly and try her best to get inside when she was created for the outside.

God began to speak into my heart this scripture verse…

“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t YOU, (Lisa), far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”  Matthew 6:26

I have been allowing “worry”, to take up way too much of my time lately. I have been allowing myself to believe that I can change or control my circumstances by worrying and fretting. I have been frantically pounding my head against a wall, or window, like my bird friend, and spending precious time trying to get into something or somewhere I do not belong. God is calling me to rest in Him, and learn to be content where He has me instead of frantically, in vain, banging on a wall or window I was never intended to be inside of.

Contentment is a difficult position for us humans. Maybe some of our bird friends even share the issue of discontentment. But I believe that learning to be content in the area God has placed us in is a valuable lesson we all need to learn.

Truth Bomb

True contentment is found in knowing we are valuable to God.

Our heavenly Father cares for us. He is faithful to provide what we need, when we need it. We are valuable to Him. When He places us somewhere, He will give us all we need to sustain us while we are there.

Trust in God and find your contentment in where He has placed you. After all, can all of your worrying add a single day to your life? No, but God can give each and every day of your life peace, contentment and fulfillment.

I am anxious to wake up tomorrow morning and see if my bird friend has learned this lesson yet!

Speak Truth Love