~Pink~

Color Pink. Pink is the color of universal love. Pink is a quiet color. Lovers of beauty favor pink. A pink carnation means "I will never forget you".

How many of us have had a special lady in our life…it could be our mom…a sister…a close friend…but she is a lady that you hold dear to your heart…because she:

~REALLY listened to you

~Prayed for you…I mean REALLY prayed for you in many life situations

~Showed you true love and compassion

~Simply hugged you when you REALLY needed emotional encouragement

~Taught you a skill that you still use today

~Lived out the Christ-like example

~Cried with you when you experienced a loss

~Laughed with you when you had a fun experience to share

~Prayed with you….as you asked Jesus into your life and heart

I have no doubt that we all have at least ONE special lady in our lives…One special lady who we will NEVER forget…I am blessed to have had a few ladies in my life I will never forget…Three of them have been received into heaven already…My mom who often talked to me about angels and how she could feel hers with her…and she also taught and showed me how to have faith in Jesus….her mom who demonstrated selflessness in always taking time for people…and my sister…who loved unconditionally…never talking bad of anyone…never! These three ladies…will always be remembered in my heart as I remember what gracious role models they each were.

Let us strive to NEVER to be forgotten…because of being someone positive in other’s lives…We can strive to be remembered for demonstrating the love, hope, and forgiveness of Christ!

~Journey to the Tomb...and beyond~

Quietly the two ladies walked along the dusty road…each in her own thought…they carried with them fragrance…enough to perfume the decaying body….

In the previous days…they had each observed their Friend and Savior being praised by crowds of people as they lay their cloaks on the path for Him and the donkey…they watched them wave palm branches and throw flowers to honor their Friend…Jesus rode humbly through the crowds of people….the two ladies remembered the expression on His face…it puzzled them at the time…He was being praised yet He had a joyful sadness…

Neither lady spoke to the other as they walked along the road…their feet getting dusty from the loose sand and gravel…they remembered Jesus stepping out in servant shoes to wash the feet of those he taught and traveled with…Jesus had such a gentle passion….

As they approached the site where the tomb of Jesus was…Mary spoke up, “how will we remove the boulder placed in front of Jesus’ tomb?” No sooner had she asked did she notice as they came upon the tomb…that the stone was gone…had someone gone in to care for Jesus’ body before they got there?...

The ladies approached the tomb cautiously…tears filled their eyes as they had each been so lost in thought as they walked and were remembering their wonderful relationship with Jesus…they wiped their eyes of the tears as they weren’t sure that what they were seeing was real…Jesus’ body was not there…it was GONE!...

A glorious bright figure was there instead…telling them that Jesus was no longer there and that they should go tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus had risen…the ladies were amazed and afraid so they left as fast as they could…and said nothing to anyone…

They tossed around the things that Jesus had told them in their minds…they had seen him die on the cross…had he REALLY come back to life??? Sure he had done miracles throughout their friendship with him…and yes He brought Lazarus back from the dead…So many thoughts swirled inside their minds as they hurried away from the tomb…

Their feet were filthy…their hearts racing…would they really see their Friend the Messiah again?

~Guard that Muscle~

"Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3 NIV

When I first read that verse several years ago...I closed my eyes...repeated it to myself...and pictured my tongue trying to fight to get through the "gate" of my teeth. I then closed my mouth, clamped my teeth down firmly, and attempted to push my tongue through my teeth. You know what? That tongue could not fight through the "gate" of the clamped down teeth. 

 

How often to do we allow words to come from our mouth that have no business being verbal. Of course our mind thinks a variety of things...the mind is not the focus here...the mind may contain words needing to be "worked through"...never to escape from our tongue through our lips.

 

I am far from perfect in locking down my teeth to be set as that "gate" that is not to allow my tongue through when there are words that are better left unsaid. When we physically close our lips, bite down on our teeth and hold our tongue in we are capable of trapping inside our escaped thoughts because in clamping our teeth down...we actually allow ourselves time to think about the choice of words or the topic. Stopping (controlling) our tongue from some verbage shows great strength in our character.

 

Our tongues are small, controllable muscles. They can be used amazingly for the good. When you feel that urge to truly speak your negative mind or when you know that your words may cause more damage than good....remember...you have a gate...clamp those teeth down...stop your tongue!

Hold On To Jesus by Steven Curtis Chapman

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Shine On Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ "People who shine from within don't need the spotlight." Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Have you ever encountered someone who just brightens your whole world? They have "something" about them that exudes out from within. Doesn't it make you desire what it is they have? You feel this glowing sunshine of sorts.

Jesus tells us to let our light shine! How can we go about being such a person? Well, to begin with we need to realize that our focus is not "ME" but "HE". Jesus should be the "light" coming from within. To grasp that light, we need to be in constant communication with Him...talking to Him as we go about our daily lives...just as we breathe...we should commune with Him....telling Him anything and everything.  

We also need to read His "letters" to us....the Bible. Or find some devotional book that will get you into the Bible. I really like, "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. She writes as if Jesus were talking right to me! She then gives Bible verses to coincide.

Learn to love yourself as Jesus sees you and loves you! The way to do this is to talk to Him and read the Bible and be in friendships with those who have a relationship with Jesus.

Love other people sincerely...as Jesus loves people.  Learn the "art" of listening! People need compassion...listeners...sincerity. 


Be genuine. If you are talking to Jesus continually, reading the Bible, loving yourself as Jesus loves you, and loving other people as Jesus would love them...then...people need to see your genuine heart. Be transparent...real!


God bless and keep you strong in Him! Shine...from within...Him within you!

 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Details Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Recently I became overwhelmed with the realities of surgery for my brain tumor...the recovery after...I stressed over what "might be"...speech issues for a while, major headaches, simply the unknown...

But the Bible says that God even cares about the sparrow....my aunt recently made me a card with pictures of two beautiful butterflies...

 IF God put so much detail into these small, elegantly beautiful butterflies...how much more does He care about what is going on with my brain. The butterfly on the right is more beautiful on the underside of its wings than the top....that is amazing.

God reminded me to ...rest in Him...trust that He will take care of every detail of my brain surgery...every detail of the recovery/healing process...EVERY detail thereafter...

God is amazing...caring for EVERY detail of our lives....God created these beautiful butterflies...with such care and detail...I KNOW with that crazy peace....that HE is going to take care of me...and ALL of the details of my life...

KNOW that God  is a God of detail, compassion, healing, love, justice, and so much more...and HE has you in the palm of His HUGE hands....

God is good...all the time...and all the time...God is good!

~Set Apart~

^" But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."~1 Peter 2:9

Wow! Chosen of God...to be His! To be holy...set apart...special to Him! He called me out of the darkness...to be in His wonderful light...

Being God's doesn't happen automatically...we are not born His but we are born to BE His...He calls each of us at different times...we may hear Him and choose to be part of His family...or we may hear Him and choose to turn a deaf ear...

His intent is that we all become a part of His holy (set apart) nation....

Set apart in how we live...set apart in how we think (renewing our thoughts daily as it says in Romans 12: 2)~"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will"~....set apart in choosing to live the life of love and compassion for others that He modeled...

When we renew our minds daily...focusing on Jesus...we cannot help but shine (from the inside out) of His wonderful light...remembering that all of our words and actions are forever "out there" once presented and can not be taken back...so choose daily to begin with your focus on Jesus...to be a part of his royal priesthood and holy nation...once we choose a relationship with Him, we become his special possession and knowing this, we will desire to always declare His praises!

My challenge to you and to myself is: when you awaken each morning...and you are alert...open His "Love Letter" (the Bible)...focus on a passage of scripture to keep in mind throughout the day...talk to God...tell him that you want the desires of your heart to be His desires...and...tell Him to help you to renew your mind...to focus only on things that are worthy of Him...honorable...He knows all of our thoughts and actions...let Him know that you want your words, thoughts, and actions to be what He wants...and ask Him to be there to assist you in keeping them what He would want.