Just Me

Wondering why, wondering what if -
A trap craftily concealed -
Ensnares the unsuspecting.
To the weak and wounded it appeals.
 
Undetected by its captive,
The entanglement’s hold is fast.
Each doubt, each fear, each question
Only tightens its greedy grasp.
 
Struggling now, fighting for air,
The trap becomes apparent.
Is it too late to escape
The damaging thoughts inherent?
 
Silencing lies, silencing the fears -
The only way to break free -
Shedding all misconceptions
Until I’m left with only me.
 
The me who can learn from my failures
The me who can laugh at my fears
The me who can see the beauty
In my scars, in my pain, in my tears.
 
The me who must stop wondering why
Who must smile and simply move on
Holding tight to all I’ve learned,
Believing it will make me strong!

Look Up!

Have you ever been to the dentist? What a traumatic experience it can be! You’re lying back in the dentist’s chair with mouth open wide. You have no where to go. You can’t speak and your discomfort is certainly not being eased by the dentist’s off-key rendition of Broadway show tunes. You could close your eyes and imagine a gentle brook babbling in the midst of a lush green field but the thought of sharp metallic instruments prodding your teeth and gums encourages an alertness like you’ve never experienced. You have nothing to do but look up.

There are many times in life when we find ourselves in the dentist’s chair – vulnerable and helpless while being prodded by the antics of the world. We search for escape but the realities of the situation seem to hold us hostage with no where to go and no where to look … but up. 

What better direction to look! 

Look up to the One who already knows our troubles and needs.

Look up to the One who can give us comfort and relieve our pain in times of distress. 

Look up to the One who holds tomorrow and all of life in the palm of His hand. He is our answer. He is our help.

So when you find yourself in the dentist’s chair of life, 

Don’t stress.

LOOK UP!!

Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Psalm 33:20 – We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

John 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – Jesus

Let It Go

Cast off your burdens:

Hurl away your troubles;

Force out your worries;

Get rid of all your cares;

Abandon them into the hands of the Father –

No strings attached,

No fingers crossed,

No take backs,

No 50/50 split –

Let it all go.

Then,

Walk away;

Don’t look back;

Keep pushing forward;

Enjoy the peaceful rest while HE carries the load –

No strings attached,

No fingers crossed,

No give backs;

No 50/50 split –

He will take it all.

 

And the peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:7‬

Be Kind

There are a multitude of reasons to be anxious these days. And more and more people are stressed beyond what they can bear. So remember –

Be kind.

Your kindness can make all the difference.

 

Why I Keep Sharing SMILES

To some, it may be silly. To others, pointless.

To some, it’s naive positivity. To others, a resented point of view.

To me, it’s a necessity and the SMILES will continue.

They must continue…

Since the onset of this COVID-19 craziness, I’ve experienced a myriad of emotions.

I’ve gone from fear of an unknown virus ravaging the world and destroying all I hold dear to anger over the decisions made by others, decisions that affect my safety and the safety of my family.

I’ve moved from sadness over the death of people that I know, that I’ve worshipped with, that I’ve worked with, to relief over my own suspicious symptoms being deemed non-virus related.

I’ve worried about family and friends, praying for the safety of those who remain healthy and for the healing of those who are fighting for their lives in isolation.

I’ve been grateful that my job is considered essential, that I can make a paycheck, pay my bills, buy groceries, while simultaneously feeling guilty that I’m still working when so many are not and are struggling to make ends meet.

I’ve been anxious, stressed and overwhelmed as I’ve navigated these uncertain times with a husband who has been dealing with major health issues, non-virus issues, but problems that seem to have no remedy, problems that keep arising and causing him to worry, stress and be overwhelmed.

I’ve found solace in Scripture and listening to worship music throughout the day only to have that consolation disappear as the lights turn out at night and the prayers begin…

Why, God? How much more of this can we take? How long, Lord?

I am emotionally exhausted.

There are times I want to give in to it all – to the fear, the anxiety, the stress. There are times when I can barely fight back the tears, those same tears that flow so freely as I’m writing this post. There are times I feel helpless believing there’s nothing I can do to make things any different.

But maybe I can.

Maybe, I can hang on to my faith. Maybe, I can trust that no matter what happens, all will be well. Maybe, I can share that hope with others.

So, guess what? I’m going to keep grasping for reasons to SMILE. I’m going to keep thinking of ideas that will spread those SMILES to others because I need to. I need to focus on the light, on the hope. I need to focus on the Source of that hope.

If I don’t, well…

My sanity, my emotional health, my faith, my hope – there’s just too much at stake.

How’s your Vision?

20 years ago, we were trepidatiously awaiting the clock to strike midnight. Y2K and all of it’s promised glitches and meltdowns were upon us. The New Year’s ball was dropping and all we could do was sit back and wait for the technical havoc to begin.

Well, the clock struck midnight. The dates on our computers rolled over and the world did not end.

True story. 😉

Now, here we are at the dawning of the third decade of this once-feared millennium. We live in a world where our whole lives can be accessed with a thumbprint or even a face (if you like that whole facial recognition thing!), where purchases can be made in seconds with the swipe or tap of a card (if the chip is not damaged or if the network isn’t down), where every aspect of our homes can be controlled with a single app on our phones from hundreds of miles away (if you’re not afraid your house will become too smart and learn to control you! Watch Sci-Fi much??) and where information is readily available with just the call of a name – “Hey, Siri!” (She’s always listening. Always….).

If only we could have seen what 2020 was going to look like as we fearfully counted down to the year 2000, if only we could’ve had a small glimpse of what two decades of technological advancement was going to bring, we would’ve had a good laugh at the threat of that silly Year 2000 Bug, now wouldn’t we.

But that’s the problem with the future – none of us know what it will bring. We listen to the doomsday predictions. We worry about tomorrow’s problems. We stress and bite our nails. We gobble up bottles of anti-acids and we wait for the misery, trouble and chaos to come our way.

What a complete waste of our time!!!

We miss so many blessings when we spend our time worrying.

Jesus put it like this:

“Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? If then you’re not able to do even this little thing, why worry about the rest?”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:25-26‬ ‭CSB‬‬

You see, God knows what tomorrow will bring. He knows the answer to your problems. He has the remedy for your fears. And here’s a shocker:

We don’t.

So, the choice is yours. You can step into the new year, or any day for that matter, in fear of the unknown. Or you can move forward trusting in God’s plan, asking Him to reveal His Vision for your future, and believing that no matter what comes your way, God will use it for your good.

I don’t know about you but I think I’ll trust God’s “2020 vision” instead of my own. After all, He’s already been there and He can’t wait for us to discover all He has in store!

Happy New Year!

A Year of Smiles – Day 213

Reason to SMILE #213: YOU’VE GOT THIS!

This week many of the children in my church begin another year of school. The first day of school is always a dreaded day in my household (actually, any school day is!) and I’m sure it’s the same for many other households. Of course, there are a variety of reasons to be anxious over the beginning of a new school year. For my kid, it’s merely that he doesn’t see the point of school! (Yep. Tell me how do you deal with that one! – – Please!) No matter the reason, I completely understand. I had a whole list of them myself. So, for all of you out there who may have kids hesitant to begin this new school year, here’s a SMILE to pass along:

 

And if you’re not a student, well, this SMILE is for you, too! Remember, no matter what you are facing, God and You have got this!

My God is SO BIG

My God by Go Fish

Have you ever heard this song?  Click the link and take a listen.  It sure didn’t sound like that when I was singing it in Sunday School as a kid.  But I love this version and so do my kids at church.  We rock the children’s wing as we pump up the volume and sing as loud as we can, “My God is so big and so strong and so mighty. There’s nothing my God cannot do!”

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve created a healthy competition between the boys and the girls. I’ve challenged the groups to sing louder than the other.  OK. OK.  So, it usually becomes a screaming match but it is so much fun!  And I hate to tell the boys this but the girls can out-scream them any day of the week!  That’s just a fact.

Last night was no different.  I had the groups stand up and separate. I could see the excitement on each face.  The challenge was made and the boys and girls faced off to see who could sing the loudest.  It was a fierce battle.  Each team attacked with great force and enthusiasm.  The boys were not going to be outdone and the girls were not going to lose their winning title.  When the song ended and the kids began to settle, there was no doubt in my mind that this battle had to be declared a tie!  The girls actually did sing louder but the boys’ valiant effort showed that they can definitely stand their ground.

More than just a never-before-imagined tie between the boys and the girls, last night’s sing off yielded an overwhelming response within my heart.  As I listened to these children raising their voices to declare how mighty and big our God is, a huge list of worries began to whirl through my mind and I realized how silly I’ve been trying to handle these worries on my own.  I’ve been wasting so much time worrying about things that are out of my control, causing myself so much grief and damaging my emotions, my mind, even my body.  And it’s all been unnecessary!  You see, no matter the problem, my God is BIGGER.  No matter the obstacle, my God is STRONGER.  No matter the opponent, my God is MIGHTIER.

So, today I say to that financial concern, “Have you met my God?”  To the issues my husband is facing at work, “You better step back.  My God’s on the way.”  To the anxiety and nervousness that is constantly tormenting me, “Fear? Ha! My God’s got my back!”  I know there will always be problems.  There will always be obstacles.  There will always be mountains to move and waters to part but I don’t have to worry.  I serve a BIG, STRONG and MIGHTY GOD!  And there is nothing that He cannot do!!!