 Of all possessions a friend is the most precious.-Herodotus Celebrating my friend.... Jesus' birthday is almost here! I mean who doesn’t get excited about celebrating a loved one on their birthday? When I celebrate friends and family birthdays, it’s personal. You know …. how did we first meet? What have we done together? What does He like? So, I had heard about Jesus when I was a little girl. I had even run into Him as a teenager. However, it was a while before we had a relationship. When I was a teen, I literally ran into Him. I was out and about with my girlfriends. There had to be at least two to three feet of snow outside. But that never stopped the show for me! We had just left a party and were walking back home. There it was...a nativity scene. I ran up to the nativity scene and before I knew it, I had Jesus in my arms! It happened so fast that I didn’t realize that I had picked him up. I was screaming and running, “I have baby Jesus!” Eventually, I ran and put the baby doll back in the manger where he belonged. So, full disclosure, there was a little bit of alcohol involved at the party….judge NOT! Struggling one night with insomnia, I met Him again. Tossing and turning. Thoughts were bombarding my mind. The raggedy CD player sporadically came on. Yes God is real, started playing. I could feel His warm embrace wrap around me as I listened to those words! Comfort, peace and sweet rest came to me. I discovered that night that He IS my Savior! That was how we became really close. I am able to call Him morning, noon or night. He is always there for me. He likes hanging out spending time with me. He knows that I’m a little cra-cra yet He listens intently. He gives great advice. I don’t always listen. Hmph, I’m just being real about our relationship! He still loves me. What a friend!! I am that girl who loves to coordinate, decorate and celebrate! I’m not trying to be negative Nancy or anything, but e’erybody don’t want to acknowledge, celebrate or honor my friend. Well, I’m here to tell you that will NOT stop the show! I know who He is AND what He has done for me. Psalm 30:11,“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” I shall see Him face to face in the future! Not a plastic doll. I shall hear Him say, well done! Not a CD player. And when I do, I’m goin’ to raise my hands in the air and wave ‘em like I just don’t care! See, I will be the one on the dance floor doing the running man, in Jesus name you understand?! I am so excited to know and celebrate my Savior, my friend every chance I get! I love You Jesus!!! A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17
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 Get back up there! Have you ever watched a gymnastic competition? The vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. OMG!!! The balance beam competition is hands down, the most intriguing event for me. I mean they are flipping, leaping and turning with perfect poise and posture on a 4 inch wide, 16 foot long piece of wood covered with leather like material! The concentration, confidence, flexibility and grace required for that event...AMAZING!! Now, I have had an opportunity as a young girl to get on a balance beam at the neighborhood recreation center...as it sat on the floor, LOL. The floor beam was intimidating and well past my athletic ability. I can't imagine it being 4 feet off the ground. I knew right then that this would NOT be for the kid! Get a kickball tournament going on and then we can talk, okay?! I admire gymnasts. The athleticism. Bodies are flexible, muscular and powerful! On that beam, the order of the sequence of their steps and movements are executed with precision. What we see is a 90 second or less seemingly flawless performance. What we don’t see is the diet restrictions and training sessions... multiple times a day. Push ups and pull ups. Strength training. Flexibility and tumbling classes. Training is specific to improving capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I am no gymnast, but I have a very athletic imagination. Does that count? Anyway, I imagine that during a balance beam event these athletes have mustered up quite a bit of confidence to be able to compete on this level. So how many times did they stumble and fall before they got it right? Did the failures strengthen or weaken their confidence in themselves? Did confidence in the instructor waver? Or did the winning outcomes of previous trainees drive them to continue on? The physical training and obedience to instruction will produce confidence, physical ability and agility needed to perform. I also imagine in my acrobatic imagination that fear is present. I mean a healthy dose of fear is okay. Surely, they fear embarrassment of falling, injury, letting people down and not performing well. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7). I respect the Lord. I don’t want to fail, fall or let Him down! Psalm 37:23-24 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.” Fear of falling, losing their balance during the routine or an unsteady dismount can ruin the chance of performing well and receiving a perfect score from the judges. Oh, that sounds like me in so many ways. If I could just remember to concentrate on my training and what the trainer has taught me thus far. I will not stay down. The Lord is our trainer. We have to be willing to be taught and obedient to His instructions. FYI: I need remedial training at times. Don’t judge me! We MUST become spiritual gymnasts in this thing called life! God is Sovereign and knows how to use life's simple and complex exercises to improve our capability, capacity, productivity and performance for the Kingdoms purposes. What I absolutely love about gymnasts during their performance is, though they may fall off the balance beam, they pose, smile and hop right back up and complete the routine. Are they frustrated? Mad? Disappointed? Absolutely! You’ve seen them. As soon as an event ends the gymnasts immediately runs to their coach. I’ve seen that in almost every sporting event. Coaches encourages their athletes to keep competing until the end. Philippians 1:6; “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” At times, I have felt as if I have shown up for a game of kickball in a leotard! I can honestly say that I have fallen off, missed training(on purpose), left the gym, refused to go back and try again, multiple times! The trainer reaches out to me. He reminds me of the strength, fitness, and agility that He has placed on the inside of me. He sends words of encouragement by way of a friend, a song or a complete stranger. So, the next time you feel like you can’t finish, you’ve lost your balance, you've fallen off the beam or had an unsteady dismount, be encouraged! Remind yourself, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me, Philippians 4:13. Strike a pose, smile and get back up there and finish YOUR GOD assigned event, strong!   “A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed seeds will fall therein and will continue to produce their kind.” James Allen Have you lost your “damned” mind? A random thought pops into my head. A video clip of something that I have said or done is playing on repeat in my brain. What were you thinking? Have you ever asked yourself this? As I look back over my life, like yesterday, I often ask myself this question! Shaking my head, I ask myself, have you lost your “damned” mind? I pray to God that I lose my “damned” mind!! Now I am sure that you may be clutching your pearls at this time saying, did she say what I think she said? Yes, I did! Let me explain myself. The “damned” that I am speaking of is not the profanity and vulgar word you may be thinking of. I am talking about condemnation. Being separated from God! FOREVER, EVA! 1 John 2:15-17 says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." I don't know about you but I want to live forever, in the presence of God! I want to experience His grace and mercy NOW AND in eternity. I want to experience His liberty, free from the shackles that have me bound. I can look forward to this by accepting Jesus now, renewing my mind, and following the roadmap that God is directing me along! Let's just say that thoughts can be viewed as the cause of our cancerous “damned” mind. When the surgeon, Jesus, comes to you, He tells you what has shown up on the diagnostic testing. You need that “damned” mind removed. If it is not removed, you will surely die! Jesus gives you the information about the ONLY treatment with risks, side effects, and recovery time. You accept and consent to Him working on you. Thank you Jesus! God's Word has the precision of a surgeon's hand and surgical blade. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." After the surgery, the surgeon tells you what to eat, what to drink, and how to live. Do not return to living the way you were. This information is given to you to save your life. When the Word cuts out a cancerous growth, it is to save your ETERNAL LIFE! Are you going to return to living like you were before? I should hope not! There must be a change... Your thoughts will stop you from doing and being who God says you are. You can be in a living hell, tormented and tortured in your "damned" mind. This is why we must renew our minds. Make our thoughts and mind new. Change your stinking thinking! Oh yeah...I'm talking to me!! I get downright confrontational with myself!! Forceful!! 2 Corinthians 10:5 (ERV) says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” This tells me that I can control my thoughts. Crazy right? Paul says in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” The next time you have a “damned” thought, CHOOSE to think of something pure and lovely! A “damned” mind will lead you to a living hell! Angry. Anxious. Defeated. Distracted. Fearful. Full of hatred. Hopeless. Jealous. Lives in your past. Proud. Self-condemned. Shackled. Stressed. Troubled. Romans 8:1-2 reminds us, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” So, the next time the old VHS tape attempts to play in your mind, turn it off! Cut the ribbon inside! Put in a DVD, Blu-ray, or pull it up on YouTube or TikTok! Press play. Look at the scenes that show how Jesus went to hell and took the keys of death and Hades. Because of Jesus, we are free!!! Did you hear me?? He has given us something new! 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” A righteous, sound mind will lead you to live YOUR best life! A blessed assurance. Have Holy boldness. Delivered. Focused on Jesus. Forgiven. Hopeful. Humble. Joyful. Liberated. Looking forward to the future. Loving. Peaceful. Renewed. Saved. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). I pray to God DAILY that I have finally lost my “damned” mind!! And my prayer is that you will too! That we will meditate on and be transformed by HIS Word every day! Trust Him with our whole heart, soul, and mind. Live the life HE has planned. Praise His Holy name now and for all eternity!! O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever (Psalm 136:1). FOREVERRRR, EVA!  “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
Corrie Ten Boom My children have been such a learn as you go experiment! However, the lessons that I continue to learn with and through them is priceless and timeless. One timeless lesson occurred one July afternoon when my children were young. After working a 12-hour night shift, I rose from a peaceful 4-hour slumber. Let's get this day started. First, I need coffee to form complete sentences and thoughts, don’t judge me! My four-year-old daughter, Lalah, soon joined me in the kitchen. We talked about what she, her brother, and her dad did for entertainment last night while I waited patiently for the coffee to kick in. Typically, hearing their nighttime adventures with their dad is a source of laughter. As King Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 3:4, A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance… Okay, some of these nighttime stories elicit all the above! She shared with me that they watched the movie Babe and ate popcorn. My seven-year-old son, Vincent, yelled from the living room that another goldfish jumped out of the aquarium onto the carpet last night. He described some distinct characteristics of his appearance, like missing sections in his fins. Heavy sigh. I keep telling my husband that we need to get rid of that shark fish! He is terrorizing the other fish in our shrinking 50-gallon aquatic ecosystem. I sit secretly pondering how I can sneak the shark fish out of the tank without anyone noticing his lurking presence is absent! Hhmmmm…. My preschooler continues talking...“Mom can we get a ‘cuzzi in the backyard?” she asks. Tilting my head in confusion, I asked her, “Can we get a what?” She answered, “You remember? Like when we went to Myrtle Beach, you and dad got in the ‘cu-zzi?” She was sure to emphasize each syllable of “cuzzi” so that I could understand. I laughed without spilling any of my precious coffee. Ahh, a Jacuzzi! I corrected her pronunciation, “A Jacuzzi Lalah. And no, we can not have a Jacuzzi!” Continuing to plead her case she questions, “but why can’t we have one mom? Please, please, please?” I firmly responded, “We just bought a new Slip N’ Slide at the beginning of the summer. I am not buying anything else!” Thoughts racing like… it hasn’t even ripped yet! Has it? Why would I buy something new? We’ve almost made it through the entire summer without buying any new toys that you won’t play with in a couple of weeks. Plus, it’s back to school shopping time. Backpacks, supply lists and uniforms..oh my! I told her we do not need a Jacuzzi, and they are expensive. She quipped, “No it’s not mom! The commercial says it’s toll-free!” Well, that explains it, doesn’t it? She has all the answers! I need a second cup of coffee for mental clarity because she has obviously come to the table with all her facts in order! Game on! Waitress, can I get a refill on the coffee? Oh, I am the waitress! As I get up to pour myself a second cup of coffee, I collect my thoughts about this exchange. I’m not quite sure yet how to approach this situation and win. Everyone who knows my daughter knows that she is persistent. I secretly wished that I had an ounce of her persistence. Are you judging me again?....“Lalah, toll-free does not mean that the Jacuzzi is free. What he is saying is you can call him, and they will not charge you for the phone call. They will even send you a free book about it and everything it can do for you but the actual Jacuzzi costs money.” “But mom, he said call toll-free for your Jacuzzi” hands flying in the air stressing toll-free this time. Oh, sweet child of mine...if only it were that simple. At that moment I saw how she accepted and trusted words freely. She had heard this strange man on the television yelling call toll-free now for your jacuzzi! She accepted what he said. Believed that she could receive it because he simply said it! Do we as Christians, accept and trust the Word of God freely? Jesus answered, “It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”(Matthew 4:4 NIV) I’m talking about me! Do I trust EVERY word in the Bible? EVERYTHING God shares with me in prayer? I DO know Him as my Father! He wouldn’t steer me wrong! When God speaks to me do I accept what he says? Or do I try to figure out if he really meant something else? Do I trust that He can deliver EVERY promise that he has made to me? For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.(Jeremiah 29:11) I can’t see the perfect plan for a meatloaf let alone His perfect plan for my life! I mean truthfully, I struggle at times! I got a lesson about acceptance and trust from my discussion with my baby girl on that beautiful day. I dare not say that after another 20 minutes of attempting to explain that only the call and brochure cost nothing that she got a full understanding. She did not! Nor did she convince me to get a Jacuzzi. She did, however, accept and trust my explanation over whatever Mr. Cuzzi said! She trusted me because of our relationship. She relies on me and my husband. Even though she may not fully understand what is going on, I have shown as her mother, that I am consistent, predictable, and reliable. She can trust my word. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.(Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV) I try very hard to walk like this scripture describes. My prayer is that I will continue to be totally dependent on God as a little child. He has already shown and keeps showing himself to be consistent, predictable, and reliable in my life. Because of our relationship with our Father, we CAN trust and believe WHATEVER He says! It’s just that simple. |
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