We can’t just stop the clock and start over.

We can’t take back the words we said or the words we did not say. We can’t get back the missed opportunity to hug our children, say I love you or share the gospel with a stranger on a plane.  That moment is gone…

We can spend a lot of time torturing ourselves trying to get something back we once had or at least think we had.

I can’t undo the progression of my parents health decline and the decisions they made, we made or wouldn’t have made.  They are done. Those choices are final and in the past.

Life is fragile.  We must handle it with care. Most of the time we can’t go back and fix things. We can say we are sorry. We can ask for forgiveness. We can try to re-do what we have done but it is done.  We can do a lot of thing but rarely do we get a “do over”.

Yesterday I wrote on my Facebook page that “Sundays always feel like a new beginning. Whatever you did last week is behind you and the week ahead is a chance to have a fresh start. If you long for a fresh start with our Lord and Savior all you have to do is ask. He is there waiting and ready to help you walk through any and everything!

That is the beauty of our relationship with Jesus Christ, we get a “do over ” in sorts because God is the  God of new beginnings.  What a gift to have a loving Savior who forgives and forgets.  He says ” I will never leave or forsake you”.

As I write in the Power Prayer Girls Handbook, walking in forgiveness, freedom, purpose and power are key tools to being a mighty intercessor for Christ! As well as letting go of the past and the things that hold you captive.

Embracing and celebrating who you are in Christ is key to your spiritual success!

You must also celebrate your gifts, your talents and your treasures! Today look at what is ahead of you~Focus and think on that which is good, pure, right and lovely… Think on these things… Phil 4:8.  Focus on what you have and not on what you don’t!

The story of the prodigal son is the best story ever about starting over.  The prodigal Son basically got a “do over”. No questions asked~No lecture, no “I told you so” . Just celebrations, killing the fatted cafe and putting on the royal robe and ring!

That my dear sweet sister is what Jesus offers you and I!

Jesus welcomes you and I into a life we could never truly comprehend.  One of forgiveness and unconditional love.  One where rules and regulations are more commandments to help guide us to a more intimate life with Christ.  We are the prodigal Son and the Father, well, is the Father. A Father with an embrace that can change your life forever!

So if today you find yourself in need of a “do over” and in need of the loving touch of a forgiving father remember that He waits with His arms wide open to receive you~ no questions asks.  We must simply come putting the past behind us!

Remember your brokenness makes you more beautiful! We are new creations in Christ!

Be blessed and encouraged abundantly today as we walk in new freedom, forgiveness, and a future full of hope and praise God for Do Overs!

P.S. Winters the Writer and editor is out of the office, so please forgive any errors!

Today we finish what we started ~ True Love!

As I said last week, one thing I love to talk about is True Love! I never seem to tire of it, True Love that is.

I believe in True Love …  I always have and always will. I always believe that true love will prevail in the end.

I believe and pray the SONS of Thunder will find True Love!  I have already been praying for their future brides.  You can read more about that here, if you like.

I believe my friends will find true love too, even if it has been taken away before.  It will come back. It always has a way of finding its rightful place, whether in your heart or only in a precious memory.  I witnessed my parents true love all the days of their life.  Yes, true love faces hard times, but true love endures all things.  

And on days when life is hard and I am weary by life’s many responsibilities, I remind myself of True Love!

But one of my sweet friends once said to me she didn’t believe in true love. WHAT! I remember saying! You do not believe in true love? It can’t be so … No, No, No,  you must believe in true love.  It is impossible not too!

Have you not seen The Princess Bride, Somewhere in Time or Sleepless in Seattle and well, the list goes on!

Who doesn’t love a good old movie where love wins in the end!  But let’s remember, Hollywood is one thing and the God of the Universe is a whole other realm.

Those are just movies … Created simply by man …  That is Hollywood…

God can do so much better than Hollywood!

Let’s get serious about what true love really means on this Thankful Thursday.

Any one that has seen a baby born, a sunset or has experienced real forgiveness knows that the power of true loves does exist.

People, directors and Hollywood can’t even compare to the capability of the Love of  God!

His true love and saving grace are in His Son, Jesus Christ.

So on this Thankful Thursday my mind is pulled to real, True Love.  The true love of God and His Son, Jesus Christ!

As I shared last week, I am moved  by music. Songs inspire me and often pick me up when I need it.  My parents loved music and made it an intricale part of my life.

I am so moved and inspired by the Phil Wickham song,  True Love!  I cannot listen to it and not feel the incredible power and transcending love of Jesus Christ.

This artist shares so vividly the love of God displayed on the Cross!

On this Thankful Thursday as you read the lyrics I pray you know how loved you are:

And just for a moment remember that True Love does exist:

Come close listen to the story
About a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave His only Son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Father’s Broken Heart
Tears were filling Heaven’s Eyes
The day that True Love died, the day that True Love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died

Search your heart you know you can’t deny it
Come on, lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave His only Son just to save us

The Earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt The Fathers broken heart
Tears were filling Heaven’s Eyes
The day that True Love died, the day that True Love died

Now, Jesus is alive

Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Oh, He is alive
He rose again

When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died

Come close listen to the story…

Be blessed and encouraged abundantly today on this Thankful Thursday as you come close and listen to the story about a love more faithful than the morning and never forget that the Father gave His only Son just to save us!  That, my dear friend, is True Love and something to be so thankful for on this Thankful Thursday!

John 3:16 says it all! Check out Phil Wickham’s video on YouTube. I have also posted it on my Facebook page. We as believers are so blessed to know and experience true love – now pass it on!

Lyrics by to Ethan Gillette, Zach McK , Jimmy H. for these lyrics

So I went out into my Secret Garden to dig in the dirt, you can read more about my secret garden here.  I began digging in the dirt and it felt good, really good.

I needed to think.

I needed to pray.

I needed to be alone.

Sometimes life is hard and this past couple of weeks has  just been, well, hard.

So I set out to be alone in the flower beds and the dirt. I needed to dig  and work some things out.  Sometimes stepping into purpose requires us to dig.  Dig deep into our souls and into our spirit.  Sometimes, if we have to work things out, we have to do it in real dirt.

So this week’s The LBD’s guide to a FabYOUlous you  is to  Know when to dig in the dirt. 

There are times we just need to let the laundry, the mopping and sorting of stuff go and put on an old good pair of garden gloves. We need to dig, dig, dig in the dirt to our heart’s content. I have said it before, I’m was not much of a gardener. Winters’ mom taught me pretty much everything I know about gardening. And I have been determined to have a beautiful garden ever since.  There’s something to be said for just good old determination.  Talent can only take you so far, and dedication, persistence and determination can make up the rest.

Invest in your garden and invest in your life  and the payoff will great.

You can learn a lot in your garden and while digging in the dirt.

First, you must have the right tools. It will make gardening easier and the same goes for life.  The right tools makes life much easier.  The wrong tools make your life more difficult. You could probably cut a branch down with a pocket knife, but it will take a long, long time and lots of frustration. Or, you could use a chain saw and knock it out in seconds.

Same goes with life.

You can get by with certain things, but it is so much easier if you use the right tools. For example, a good bible that you actually open and read! Fill your life with Power Prayer Girls, women that you can count on to pray with you when you need it and even when you don’t.  Surround yourself with the right women, the ones I call the “Sacred Few” and the people Winters refers to as “Sams.”  The ones you can count on, any time, any where.

Next, water is necessary if you want plants to flourish. We are just like plants – we need certain things to flourish, too.  Praise, encouragement, love, support and appreciation are like water to the human soul!  We must give life-giving words to those we love, like our spouse and children and even strangers for that matter. Ask God to help you be this kind of woman. You can read more about that here.

We must also prune. Pruning is a must if you want your plants and flowers to come back stronger and in more abundance.  This is one of the hardest things for me to do.  I simply hate to prune a beautiful plant. But it must be done.

When we are pruned, then we get stronger and better just like plants.  Sometimes we just have to let God prune off the dead and unhealthy parts of our lives.  Those area that do not add to our lives, but rather take away.  Ask God to prune you and make you more beautiful than ever in Him.  Pruning is sometimes difficult and uncomfortable, but it is necessary.

Weeds, Weeds, Weeds, Oh my!  Then there are those pesky weeds.  Weeds just pop up out of the blue.  We must rid our gardens and our life of weeds.  They will take over our garden and our life before we know it.  We must deal with them sooner rather than later. We  have to get rid of those sins, those behaviors, those thoughts, those attitudes that are like weeds in our life. If those weeds take root, we will have so much more work to do, to rid our life of them. So we have to quickly identify the weeds in our life and deal with them.

But what if your weeds have big nasty roots?  Well, if your weeds have become roots, then we have our work cut out for us don’t we?

Oh yes, those pesky roots.  Just the other day I went to plant a flower and I had the hole almost dug and there was a big old root in my way.

So naturally I started beating it with a shovel and it would not budge. Sound familiar?  You try to eradicate it from your perfect hole.  Roots are difficult to get rid of in your garden and  in your life. Spiritual roots like bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, greed, fear and even generational roots are difficult to get ride of. But we must get rid of those roots for our life to really blossom.

So, get outside and enjoy your garden. I suggest you find a quiet place this week and ask God if there is any area of your life you need the Master Gardner to help you with.

If you seem to be having a long week or life, maybe you need to get to digging in the dirt!

God is the Master Gardener and when we put our life in His hands we are certain to be transformed into lovely beautiful women of God!

God can help you find the right tools and help you get rid of the weeds and the roots in your life that are holding you back!

So be blessed and encouraged abundantly today as you dig in the dirt, whether literally or figuratively.  May your life be transformed by the loving touch of the Master Gardener, Jesus Christ.

I know I have said that a million times.

But they do.  And yesterday, on Facebook I posted a song by JJ Heller that always moves me.  It is appropriately entitled “What does love really mean”.  The singers sweet voice and the powerful words always touches me so deeply.  When I need a pick me up and a quick reminder of  the true love I go to YouTube, type in one of two songs this being one of them and I am inspired all over again…

What does love really mean?

Most often we define love as we understand love to be, in our earthly finite minds…

Love can mean many things to many people but to the believer it is a distinct kind of Love.  A love that represents forgiveness, faith, restoration and unconditional love.  True love we can hardly be comprehend.

We can get so caught up in seeking love from others that we seek love the wrong way.  We can seek it through sex when what we really wanted was love and not sex at all.  We seek love through wanting approval so we seek love through our work and become a work Alcoholic. The thought being, if I give all of myself to them, then they will love me or if I am successful and rich then they will love me.

It makes me sad just thinking about it because that is a counterfeit love. That is a love based on doing something to get something in return or love based on our performance.   But that is not love.  True love says “I love you no matter what” and “I will love you for you” for richer or poorer and in sickness and in health. I simply value you. You as person.  I am not saying we shouldn’t work to improve ourselves but we should not do it  just so someone will love us more.

But again so often we feel loved  for “what we do” and “how we do it”.

We seek approval Love.  The “I know they will love me when I’m thinner, more successful, get that promotion or when others think I ‘m important again”.  But that is not really love, is it?

No, that is not true love.

True love says your important no matter what.  You are so important just because you are you… That is God’s kind of true love.

And just because the world doesn’t recognize it, or a boss doesn’t acknowledge it or your parent doesn’t see it, doesn’t make  you any less valuable.  You are important just for being you!

In the bible God talks about unconditional love~ Unconditional love is when we love someone regardless of their qualities or actions.

The beautiful thing is that no one is to far from the love, grace and mercy of God.  Sometimes it is hard to wrap our heads around it but God  loves the liar, the drunkard, the adulterer, mistress, the thief, the murder, the hopeless shop clerk, the person who abandoned you, the parent who let you down all those years ago, the child who disappointed you and He loves you and me too.  His love is far and deep and very, very wide.

We live in a world with lost and deceived people and lost people will hurt you.  Frankly, even saved people will hurt you. But that does not mean we can’t pray for them and that God can’t change them. And if we sin, brokenness, or hurt in our lives we must also pray that God heal us too.

Now let me be clear God hates the sin but He loves the sinner.

He died on the cross for all of us.  The good, the bad and the ugly. Let’s remember when hanging on the cross Jesus said to the one thief  ”Today you will be in paradise with me”.  He promised the thief hope and cared for His soul.  He will care for yours too.

Today on this Thankful Thursday don’t let your heart be full of hurt or even conditional love for others.

If someone has wounded you so deep you see no signs of ever recovering.  Let is go.  Pray for them and pray they will have an encounter with the our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because no one is to far from the grasp of  Jesus!

Let go of the pain that is holding you back from living the life God has for you. Celebrate that He loves you for you and stop trying to earn love or earn grace.  It is a gift God-lovingly gives because He first loved us, we can love others.

On this Thankful Thursday be thankful for a savior who loves you no matter what.

Don’t waste one more minute of your life in regret. Regretting that someone did not love you or treat you better!

Because, my sweet sister, you have the greatest gift of true love ever in the Son of God!

I love remembering that Jesus will love me for me! Not for what I have done or what I will be become…I needed to be reminded of this again and just thought someone else today might need to be reminded of it too!

No one is to far from the loving touch of our savior not even you or me.

Jesus loves you dear friend! Listen to the Lord as He says to you I will love you for you! Just You! Not for your education, your looks, your income, your position, your power, or talent but I love you for YOU!

Be blessed and encouraged abundantly today as you remember and celebrate that you are loved. Now walk in love!

Check out video on my Facebook page or on you tube it will bless you! JJ Heller What Love Really Means!

You might see some typo’s Winters was out of the office… Sorry…

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, I went to purchase Mother’s Day cards.

One for Winters’ mom and one for my dear friend, Carol, who is like a  mother.

I also gathered a few extras for some amazing women in my life who have never had any trouble telling me how much they love me. They are the kind who’ve been there through thick and thin.  Those cards have now been sent out too.

I read many cards, trying to find the right ones. I finally turned to the lady next to me and said “I  have had enough, I am getting out of here. This is making me want to cry.” And I did shed some tears a few minutes later.

I have found many perfect cards in my lifetime, but my favorite by far are by Papyrus.  They are lovely and worth every penny.  They are simply exquisite.  Definitely worth sending on Mother’s Day.

There was one card that stood out among the rest and it had my mom’s name written all over it! But there was a problem, she was no longer here.

It read” Only a mother as Fabulous as you … Could have had a daughter as Fabulous as me … Happy Mother’s Day!”    

It just put a smile on my face.  Miss Eddi would have loved it.

There was nowhere to mail so I simply brought it home.  And as it sat on the counter, the youngest Son of Thunder inquired  about the card and I explained the dilemma.  That we couldn’t really mail it, not knowing the address of heaven so I thought we would just hang onto it and remember what a Fabulous Mother my mom was!

He agreed it was a great idea.

With mom and dad both gone, questions often run through my mind. Questions like …

When your parents pass away, are you still a daughter?

Are you now an orphan?

Who will worry about me  if something happens to me?

Who will encourage me when I need encouragement?

Who will love me like my mom and dad?

I ponder those question once in a while …not often but yes once in awhile since I am new with whole thing.

And so on this Thankful Thursday I am reminded that God is faithful … He has and will fill your life with women and friends that will love you like a daughter; those that encourage and support and believe in you.  Those who believe in your very being and the very essence of who you are.

And most of all I remember there are no orphans in the Kingdom of God. We are all His children for eternity.

That’s true whether we have parents or not; whether we are separated by hurt or separated by death.

Remember, we are never separated from the love of Christ when we are in Him!

So on this Thankful Thursday be blessed and encouraged abundantly today that God will send people into your life to love you like their own!

Remember you were loved; remember you are loved.

And most of all, remember you are loved by the Creator of the Universe and it doesn’t get any better than that!

Today is known to many as Maundy Thursday, it was the day that Jesus had the last supper with the disciples before his crucifixion on Friday.  Friday is often referred to as Good Friday, but it was certainly a day full of pain, torment and suffering for our Lord and Savior. For the believer, however, it is a good day.  A day when Jesus took on my sins, your sins and all the sins of the world.  Those sins that were, are and ever to be.

That is amazing love.  And remember the best part is Sunday is coming!  Resurrection Day!

Hallelujah.  How blessed we are on this Thankful Thursday.

Yesterday, I picked up my father’s bible and saw his hand written notes in it. For a moment, I could not believe he has been gone since November.  A wave of loss washed over me that I could never describe.  I thought to myself , God’s know my pain because he too watched his Son suffer and die.  He care about our every need…

I turned to one of my favorite books in the bible, John, and finally made my way to John 14.  

The first thing I read, which was underlined in pencil was the following:

John 14:1

Do not let your hearts be troubled, Trust in God; Trust in me.  In my father’s house there are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you.

What a comfort to read this passage “Do not let your heart be trouble”  and “In my father house there are many mansions.”  To all those who have lost loved ones, it is a comfort indeed. It was so wonderful to read those words. On this Thankful Thursday, dear friends, do not let your heart be troubled, trust in God. Know our loved ones are in Heaven and know that one day we will be there too with the Father. What a gift. What a hope.  What a future we have in store for us!

I read further and the next scripture dad underlined was John 14:6

I am the way, the truth and the life.

He knew it and I am so blessed that I know it!  For all who know Christ as their Lord and savior, we know He is the way!  He is the way for help, for wisdom, for guidance, for freedom, for healing, for restoration, and for eternal life!  He is indeed the way, the only way!

As Winters writes in his book, Everyone needs a Sam, Jesus is the Ultimate Sam.  He is the guy that says I can carry you and I carry your burden too.  He is the guy you want beside you and guarding your back,  you will never find a better mentor than Jesus Christ.  I hope you know Him well and if not, I urge you to get to know this guy! You won’t be disappointed I promise.

This Easter I pray that you find your hope in Christ and Him alone and let the things of this world be less and less important.

I hope you never forget how precious you are to God, so precious that He would send His only Son to die just for you!

Be blessed and encouraged abundantly today on this Thankful Thursday  as we celebrate what Christ did for us on the Cross and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior!

It’s hard when our taxes are due, children are sick, bills must be paid, parents die, and relationships fall apart and yes, even when cars break down. Those issues can affect our attitude and how we feel.  It can affect how we view the world around us as a whole.

Focusing our attention on the blessings of our life is crucial.  If we don’,t it can make it even more difficult to be thankful.

We have all met people who, amidst the trials of life, they walk in a spirit of joy.  They are hopeful and positive and they are a breath of fresh air to be around.  

As we nurture a heart of gratitude we will be healthier and happier people and those around us will reap the benefit.  If we focus too long on the negatives of life, we will become bitter, grumpy and possibly even physically sick – and who wants that! Focusing too long on the hardships of life can just make us hard-hearted, discouraged, depressed and helpless and even hopeless.

So as I said last week, setting aside some time to be thankful can be extremely helpful for you emotionally and spiritually.

Choosing to look at the blessing in our life and how God is providing for us is so important.  Sometimes it is done by simply putting a positive spin on your life.

Here are two scriptures I love that help me focus my attention that way!

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, and with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I pray today on this Thankful Thursday you will be reminded of all the blessings and provisions God has made for you.  That you will focus your attention on having a thankful heart.

Rejoice in God’s goodness, mercy, and sustaining grace!

Be blessed and encouraged abundantly today as we walk in thanksgiving and gratitude.

Now fasting often scares people off and may be very intimidating. Let me assure you, it needn’t be.  It is a great spiritual discipline that can be truly life changing.

March 9th will be Ash Wednesday and the beginning the forty days of Lent.

Lent and fasting go hand in hand.

Now you know what I am going to say next, Go for it!  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  And you can fast for the Lord, I promise.

This would be a perfect time to begin a fast  as we prepare for Easter.  

So next Wednesday we will enter the season of Lent.  Whether you attend a service or no, it can be forty days that could change your life.  Fortydays of fasting, self-reflection and moderation.

So again, I say go for it.

Why not give God an opportunity to change your life forever through one simple act of surrender.

The word surrender should not scare you off.  Surrender is a good thing.

When you surrender to the Lord and His perfect will, you can stop striving. Stop striving for the things of this world and press into the Lord and experience holiness, peace, grace and so much more.

So bottom line, I encourage you this week to seek the Lord with an open heart and mind.  Take the next few days to ask Him to search you.  Ask the Lord to search your feelings, thoughts and actions.

This is the perfect time to get serious and ask those tough question of yourself and the Lord.

Simply say Father, “What would you have me surrender at the foot of the cross?” Or at least work on surrendering.

The word says that, to obey is better than sacrifice.

I Samuel 15:22

“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

Obedience must accompany sacrifice. They go hand in hand.

We all have things we must be willing to lay down for the Lord to take us to a deeper place with him. The only question really is when will we surrender them.  So let’s get busy surrendering!

You sweet friend, are safe in the arms of Jesus and safe in the arms of the cross at Calvary.

Remember Resurrection Sunday is coming! A life of holiness awaits you

For those of you who know me well, you know I usually think that “more is more” and for the most part, I think stuff  is a good thing. Yet at the same time, sometimes “STUFF” must go!  Sometimes more stuff is just that-  more “Stuff”.

Well, fear not, there is great news for us!  It’s a new year and that is a perfect time to say “out with the old and in with the NEW!”   I am not talking about purging the excesses in your life just so you can start hauling in all kinds of new STUFF.

No, what I am talking about is letting go of the old and embracing the new.  The new things God has for you.  Letting go of  all the old “Stuff” in your life that is weighing you down and holding you back.  

We must be willing to let go of the things that are holding us in bondage and keeping us captive and enslaved.  It is only then that we can be free.   And the only one to bring true freedom is Jesus Christ. For as we know, whom the Son sets free is free indeed!  God is ready and willing to help us. But we must be willing to surrender what is holding us back.

For those of you who follow my blog or have heard me speak, you know the journey I have been through these past four years dealing with my parent’s decline in health, and finally their deaths just within the last 15 months.

We became the “proud” owners of far too many sheds as “Winters” post shows.  Between my parents’ stuff and our stuff and moving back and forth across the country, we simply had too much “Stuff.” I have spent much of the last few years sorting. Sorting stuff.  My mother had a love for “stuff.”  She saw the beauty in everything, hence she had a lot of stuff she loved.  That was her thorn in the flesh, so needless to say she left me a lot to sort.

So as I said I have spent much of the last year sorting.  Sorting feelings, sorting memories and most of all sorting stuff.  I had to sort. It had to be done.  Last week we said farewell to one one of those sheds.  Letting go is a good thing.

But, there have been many days of questions and reflections as I have purged.  The should ofs, the would ofs and the could ofs.  Yet that is simply looking over my shoulder and into the pas. And for the most part, that will get you nowhere fast. And for anyone who has done any amount of sorting/purging,  I am sure you can relate to my pain. It is tedious, frustrating and exhausting.

That is of unless of course unless you are my dear husband. “Winters” loves to clean out.  I think it actually gives him some kind of crazy endorphin rush. And once “Winters” is on a roll, well, it is very likely he may just toss me and the flying dog right out the window.   However, the Sons of Thunder are far to0 fast for him. He can be ruthless when letting go of  stuff. So much for seeing the beauty in everything!  I admire that in him – as long as he doesn’t touch my stuff.

Now a word of caution as you sort through the “Stuff”. As I already mentioned, it is impossible not to sort through memories too.  And as you sort through the memories a flood of them will probably come  flying at you.

It’s like when you open a closet, a closet that is suddenly packed full of stuff and right after you told The Sons to pick up their rooms.

This would be the #2 Son of Thunder.  He is a genius in this regard.  Sometimes number #2 Son hides stuff so well we can’t find it for a year.  Sadly, we do the same thing with feelings, memories and the pains of our life too.  Sometimes we  hide, stuff and shove it because we don’t want to deal with it or we simply don’t know how to. The “Stuff” that is.

But the “Stuff” always has a way of getting out and cluttering up and complicating our lives.  So we must deal with it.  It has to be done.

OK, so here is the bottom line.  We all have “Stuff.”  Your stuff may literally be stuff, but maybe not. Your stuff might be overeating, overspending, over drinking or over whatever (you fill in the blank).  We all have stuff  to work through.  But today is the day to start dealing with the “STUFF”.

I encourage you to get busy living!  Living the life God has called you to fulfill for His glory.  Let go of the past and the” Stuff” that is holding you back.  The clutter, the junk, the pain of the past or whatever your thorn in the flesh is. Let it go!  If you can’t in your own strength do it, then ask God to help. But now is the time.  Today is the Day.

I am talking about those life changing goals and plans.  As I said in another post, ask yourself what can you do today that will change your life forever tomorrow?   Maybe this is the year to really commit to go deep with God. Your drug of choice may be shopping to feel good and get your high.  You may use alcohol  as an emotional manager and to numb your pain in your life.  Whatever you are doing to an extreme has got to come to a screeching halt.  And dear friend, this year is as good as any to start afresh and anew.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. So go for it!

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Really sweet friends, today is the day to make a new choice to will alter the course of your life and your future forever. Today is the day to not do the same thing over again and expect a different result. Do something different!

This may sound hard. But the God of the Universe, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings will help you. His word says” Ask and you will receive. Knock and the door shall be opened”.

Here is a simple prayer that you may use as a guide to ask Jesus for help.  I have prayed something like this a million times. It is a guide to help you if you need it.

Dear Jesus, I ask that you help me as I lay down the things in my life that are holding me back from living the abundant life and the life you have for me.  Give me strength and courage to make new choices that are healthy ones.  Increase my faith and help me Lord to walk fully in you. Deliever me Lord from my “Stuff” and my addictions and dependencies that I have put before you.  Heal me Lord in the name of Jesus and set me free!

Now start right now celebrating  your healing and walk in it!

It is a new day and you are a new creation in Christ.

And remember you are not your mother.  You are not your father. You are not your sister or your brother.  You are You.  You are not defined by anyone but Jesus Christ and He alone.  He, my friends, calls you glorious!

This is your year to be changed and to step into the new.

Embrace your life with hope and expectancy!

This is the year for God to fulfill the dreams he has birthed in your heart .

You can do it!

Be blessed and encouraged, dear friend

You are a gift!

True love, for the most part, doesn’t look like  Hollywood’s portrayal, but of course we already know that.  It looks more like two people stealing a kiss in the laundry room, a husband sorting socks, and parents praying together over their sick child.   It looks more like putting your lover’s needs before your own and a husband holding his wife as her mother goes to be with the Lord.

Love looks like commitment, just like the commitment God made to us. For the Christian, there is no greater example of true love than that of Jesus Christ.  His death on the cross for our sins demonstrated true love.  Easter is the ultimate reminder of true love.  Jesus’ death on the cross for each of us was so we could truly experience the truest kind of love.

In marriage, true love looks like a covenant between two people who through determination, forgiveness and unselfishness choose to walk daily through this journey of life together for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, in much and in little.

It looks like ‘wither thou goest I will go” be it ALASKA!!!, Nebraska, Georgia or even Oklahoma.  It looks like my parents and the “writer’s” parents.  Couples who decided that no matter what, they were in this for the long haul.  Each of our parents have spent fifty years loving, learning  ,growing and forgiving.

I know it wasn’t always perfect for my parents, but what I also know is that they had a steadfast commitment to each other and to the Lord that no matter what, they would persevere.  They worked hard on their marriage.  They knew God was their source and they made church a part of their commitment. Remember that true love is honest, open and willing to change for the betterment of the relationship and their spouse.

True love still finds time to swing from chandeliers, well l… maybe not so much chandeliers but definitely time for love. Sometimes there are bells and whistles, but sometimes there is simply silence. But there must be time for intimacy.  Time for family.  Time for friends.  Time to simply BE.

Life is not easy on marriages.  In fact, I have always said that life pulls us apart and rarely pulls us together.  But we must strive to be close, whether we can afford a vacation or simply a quite dinner at home.  We must choose each day whom we will love and we must choose this day whom we will serve.

We must lay down our selfish nature and decide to be unselfish.  Most of the time marriage isn’t glamorous.  It is in the “sticktoiveness” that we celebrate oneness.  Best friends maybe, maybe not.  But a friend that speaks the truth in love.  A friend that seeks your best above their own, a friend that will lay down his life for a friend.  That is the kind of true love I have found.

We are reminded in God’s word what true love really looks like and a bench mark to strive for.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.  it always protects, always trusts, always hopes always preservers.  Love never fails.

May we all strive for true love in our hearts and in our homes!

So here’s to true love.

May you experience it today for yourself.