Unplugged

John 15:5New Life Version (NLV)

5 I am the Vine and you are the branches. Get your life from Me. Then I will live in you and you will give much fruit. You can do nothing without Me.

Psalm 16:8New Life Version (NLV)

8 I have placed the Lord always in front of me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved.

Electronics have taken a whole new role in our world.  Kids on devices, whether iPads, tablets, or phones.  Parents texting, calling, emailing, and checking social media.  Teens…do I even need to go into that one?  It amazes me to think back to 16 years ago at the turn of the century.  So much has changed in such a short amount of time.  

Having access at the tips of our fingers at all times can be a good thing, but also something that can wear and tear at us over time.  I am reading an article with some of my kids in class about texting.  I asked the kids today if their parents use their cell phones to text and/or email.  Almost every one of them said that they have a hard time getting their parents attention due to the cell phone.  I’m just as guilty as the next person, but am making a conscious effort to turn it off at certain times.  

This past weekend I was able to truly experience being “unplugged”.  My phone caught a virus as it upgraded.  I was traveling to TN at 5:50 am and a babysitter was taking our kids to school.  As I boarded the plan, it hit me.  I did not have our babysitter’s phone number, not being able to call Adam to let him know of the situation, and not having a connection to anyone I knew.  I had a very sick feeling for a while until I was able to connect with everyone on my mom’s phone when she picked me up in Nashville.  It was then that I realized I was truly dependent on that device.  My desperation drew me into a small panic attack.  Then it hit me, am I that dependent on the Lord?  Do I reach for him the moment I have a question, concern, or just need someone to listen?  If He was taken out of my life, would I be as gut wrenched as I was in that moment?  I took some time to really marinate in that idea.  So “unplug”, reach for the book and flip through those thin, lightweight, opaque pages.  

Be Blessed!

Large and In Charge

Psalm 37:4-5New Life Version (NLV)

4 Be happy in the Lord. And He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Give your way over to the Lord. Trust in Him also. And He will do it.

Glaciers are very large in person.  Many of us have not been able to experience a glacier first hand.  I pray that one day, everyone reading this, gets to experience one up close and personal.  (Side note: Disney did NOT exaggerate the color of Elsa’s castle when it comes to ice in cold climates.)  

We can look at life situations, events, and/or problems as glaciers.  We CAN’T control the uncontrollables, but He does.  He gives us what we need to take that situation and do with it what He wants.  We can tell our heads, “God has got this,” but do we truly believe it in our hearts?

My sister, who is an amazing woman, has had a vision to help families that have special needs kids.  Why?  Because she is that family.  Colin is 12 years old, an angel from above, who requires a lot of extra love.  Looking back over the past 12 years, life has NOT been easy for her.  She continues to put a smile on her face and tells her head, “God has got this.”  It wasn’t until recently her heart started to truly believe that.  She has a vision to help these families, and this weekend it is coming to fruition.  

God puts people in our lives at the right time.  He puts opportunities in our lives when He sees we are ready. “Focus on HIS strength, not yours.  Occupy yourself with the nature of God, not your biceps.”  He provides…He provides the strength we need.  

So what does this have to do with glaciers?  Glaciers are large, but God’s plan and answers are larger.  

Be Blessed!

Your "Escape"

Psalm 107:29-30New Life Version (NLV)

29 He stopped the storm, and the waves of the sea became quiet. 30 Then they were glad because the sea became quiet. And He led them to the safe place they wanted.

Isaiah 26:3New Life Version (NLV)

3 You will keep the man in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You.

Psalm 4:8New Life Version (NLV)

8 I will lie down and sleep in peace. O Lord, You alone keep me safe.

Stop for a moment and close your eyes to think about what your “escape” vacation would be…your oasis.  Mine, and probably most of yours, involves water.  A lake house in the middle of the mountains, a beach house on one of the most luxurious beaches, on a boat riding the waves and enjoying a breeze, or in a ski lodge enjoying the looks of snow (may be frozen, but still water).  

The sound of water tends to relax us.  In fact, the other day during my planning, I cracked my door open a bit just to listen to the sound of the rain pouring outside of my classroom.  

The look of water soothes our soul, whether it be snow drifting across the mountains, the trickling of the creek as we walk, rain on the tin roof of a cabin, or just the sound of waves hitting the shore.  

The feeling of water can refresh us, cools us, warms us, and make us feel clean.  

Water is all around us, in the wind, clouds, fog, mist, rain, and in the air we breathe.  Do we notice the water that surrounds us daily?  Do we appreciate the water that we drink daily?  Could we live without it?  

God surrounds us daily.  We just have to stop to take notice.  We can’t live without Him.  One way God speaks to us is through nature.  Take a moment, it may be brief, but at least take it.  Breathe, and know that His sound, look, and feeling is an escape we have daily.  So “escape” with Him. ​

Be Blessed!  

Open Arms

Jeremiah 31:3New Life Version (NLV) The Lord came to us from far away, saying, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. So I have helped you come to Me with loving-kindness.

Ephesians 4:7 Loving-favor has been given to each one of us. We can see how great it is by the gift of Christ.

I have never been away from my kids more than 4 or 5 days at one time.  Taking the trip to Alaska and being away from them, wasn’t hard for me at first.  Then I realized I would be gone for 10 days.  I missed both my daughter, age 6, and my son, age 9, terribly.  I couldn’t wait to squeeze them tight and tell them all about our trip.  The moment my daughter saw me, her face lit up and she immediately jumped into my arms.  She took both of her tiny hands, placed them on my cheeks, and looked deep into my eyes.  She then said, “I missed you.”  These words had more depth than they ever have.  Pure joy came from my heart.  The joy only a child and a parent can exchange.  

So many times in our lives, we wander, take “vacations” from God and our faith.  The when we decide to return He places His hands on our faces, kisses us with kisses that will be felt eternally, and looks deep into our hearts and says, “I have missed you.” 

Regardless of what transpires as our hearts have wandered, what sins have taken place, He ALWAYS welcomes us with open arms, grace is given, and a love that parents have for their children - unconditional love.  

Good Good Father [Lyrics] - Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_m5ZWchiZo

Be Blessed!

Struck Gold!

2 Corinthians 4: 13-18 (MSG)

13-15 We’re not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!

16-18 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

While on our trip through beautiful Alaska, I was able to pan for gold.  This process is one many of us have seen either in movies or documentaries.  However, experiencing it was amazingly exciting.  We were given a pan that had a mixture of sand, rock, and other sediment.  Within this mixture was pure gold that could not be seen.  Shaking the pan in a certain manner brought the gold to the bottom of the pan.  Then came the tricky part, we had to dunk our pan repeatedly in the water to get the sediment to filter out.  What kept the gold in the pan is that it is 18 times heavier than water.  Some people where caught picking through their pan, trying to find the tiny specs of gold.  THEY DIDN’T TRUST THE PROCESS.  After some time of dipping and dunking, it was time to swirl gently and in a particular way.  Slowly and suddenly the gold started to appear at the top of our pans.  

God weighs down our treasures.  Sometimes we can see it with our own eyes, but most times we have to go through a process to find the treasure.  This process is necessary in our growing and swirling relationship with Him.  But in the end the difference between panning for Earthly gold and His gold - there is only 1 that is a 100% guaranteed to strike gold.

Be Blessed!

To Do Lists

Exodus 14:14New Life Version (NLV)

14 The Lord will fight for you. All you have to do is keep still.”

1 Samuel 12:16New Life Version (NLV)

16 Now stand still and see this great thing which the Lord will do in front of your eyes.

Isaiah 26:3New Life Version (NLV)

3 You will keep the man in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You.

Welcome back!  Most of you who are on this email are apart of the beginning of school one way or another, whether a parent, part of a school staff, and/or a teacher.  The last few nights I have been tossing and turning.  I would take one look at the clock, then satisfied that I still had a few more hours of sleep.  I began to enjoy the silence in the house until the littlest things start being heard.  I could hear my son’s fan in his room across the house, the dripping of the diffuser next to our bed, the clicking of the fan above our bed…you get the idea.  Then my mind started racing about “To Do Lists” that would be tackled as soon as my alarm goes off.   I would look at the clock again satisfied that I still have a few hours before my alarm goes off.  Then I hear Him tugging at my heart.  He motions for me to “be still and rest”.  The thought of tuning into just His voice seems to be easy enough, but then the loudness of our thoughts overcome His voice.  

So as we all get back into the swing of things this school year, remember to be still and take notice of what He is doing in your life.  Trust in what He is doing,  soak up the little moments of silence, and listen to what He might be whispering in your ear. ​

Be Blessed!

Throw It Above

Romans 14:19 “Work for the things that make peace and help each other become stronger Christians.”

Colossians 4:6 “Speak with them in such a way they will want to listen to you.  Do not let your talk sound foolish.  Know how to give the right answer to anyone.”

Our closest relationships are with the ones we share a home with, our immediate family.  They see the good, the bad, and the ugly.  If you have a good day, you come home and share those emotions and feelings.  If you have a day that didn’t go as planned, you tend to be transparent and let the feelings weave in and out of the evening, whether it is through discussions with your kids, husband, or just sitting on the couch taking it out on a pint of ice cream.  

Tonight, as I sit in my room writing this, I have a fan blowing full blast praying that my husband forgives me for burdening him with things that are not of importance at the end of the day.  “Our living rooms should not be the battlefield, the prayer room should be.”  We should take these frustrations/emotions and throw them above.  Yes, our house got a little heated, literally, tonight as we discussed our broken air conditioner and the dishwasher that needs to be repaired.  At the end of the day, my kids are healthy (maybe a little hot tonight, but dreaming in a comfy bed), I have a roof over my head, I had a good meal to eat, and I have a man that loves me unconditionally.  

So, our closest relationships, whether they be husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, or father, whomever you are most transparent with should be cherished.  I’m not saying that discussions should not be had, but what I am saying is that the harshness that is thrown about in some of those discussions are better off thrown above, filtered, and then laid back on our hearts in the right manner.  

As a side note…we are coming into the summer season.  Many of us are teachers and will be out of pocket over the next couple months.  I also, will be catching up on life and visiting with loved ones and doing a little traveling myself.  Thoughtful Thursdays are not coming to an end, just a pause until August.  If I felt led to send something out or if you have something that needs a little extra prayer, please keep in touch.  Until then, have an amazing summer.  

Be Blessed!