WHAT AND WHY

For most of my life; no probably all off my life, music has been a very important part of my life. From growing up in the 70’s and 80’s listening to my mom’s music and the rock bands of the 80’s, I have identified so much with music. I have those certain songs; that when I hear them, it takes me back to a time and a place and a memory, maybe even a big life event. I will admit that a lot of the music that I grew up listening to wasn’t the best for me to be influenced and listening to it now can completely change my mood and perspective; that is why I have chosen to not listen to; and there by be influenced by, the hair bands of the 80’s. Some would speak against that statement; however, while I know that there is some classic music from those times, I know where my thoughts and perspective goes when I listen to it and therefore choose to avoid listening to it. The music from the 80’s is a trigger for me.

In this season of my life; and I dare say, for the rest of my life life, I choose to listen to music that brings me closer to the God I love and triggers me in a positive direction. Music is still so much a part of my life and has great influence on my thoughts and perspective. This morning while listening to I will Carry You by Ellie Holcomb (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBGb5jG5v3Y), I was reminded of why I can trust Jesus with; not only my life, but also every cell, every organ, every detail of my life.

These are the lyrics of the song that struck me so profoundly this morning:

I Will Carry You by Ellie Holcomb

I know you’re tired, I see it in your eyes
All that anxiety that rules your mind
I’ll be your shield when you don’t feel like
You’ve got strength enough to fight
I’ll stand by your side

I will carry you
Through your darkest night
When you’re terrified
I will carry you
When the waters rise
When your hope runs dry
I will carry you

You are not the sum of your mistakes
You don’t have to hide the parts of you that ache
I choose you as you are a million times
‘Cause I am not ashamed of you
I won’t walk away from you

I will carry you
Through your darkest night
When you’re terrified
I will carry you
When the waters rise
When your hope runs dry
I will carry you

Up and over the mountains
Valley deep as the ocean
When you can’t keep going
I will shoulder your burdens
Up and over the mountains
Valley deep as the ocean
When you can’t keep going
I will shoulder your burdens

Why can I trust Jesus with my whole being, my whole heart, my whole everything? Because He will carry me through the good, the bad, and the everything in between. Now this is the best way to start my day; with a great reminder of the extent to which Jesus has gone for me and will go for me because of His beyond-my-comprehension love! A little while later; as I was on my morning walk, Holy Spirit began to put some things together for me. He first reminded me of the ‘why’ I can trust Jesus; and then He reminded me of the ‘what’ He is asking me to do by reminding me of a great song (of course) from quite a few years ago called Welcome Home by Shawn Groves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPZtQGZUyMk). I will share the lyrics of this powerful song but first I want to share that this song reveals what Jesus is calling His followers to do; what God is calling His people to do; what Holy Spirit is leading and teaching us to do. Now I am a task-oriented person so I can get all wrapped up in the doing side of things; this is a weakness of mine, I tend to get so caught up in the doing that I miss out on the being with those around me. I don’t recommend this as a habit or hobby. God wants us to BE with Him first and foremost as we read in Psalm 46:10; I would look it up if you don’t already know what it says, I love this verse! Anyway, what God is asking us to ‘do’ comes out of our ‘BEING’ with Him; spending time with Him, talking with Him constantly, sharing His love with others, but most of all; as the words of Welcome Home remind us, God wants to be invited into every space of our being with nooooo exceptions. And when we invite Jesus into every cell and every detail of our lives, what a relationship we can have with the Lover of our souls!

Welcome Home by Shawn Groves

Take, me, make me
All You want me to be
That’s all I’m asking, all I’m asking

Welcome to this heart of mine
I’ve buried under prideful vines
Grown to hide the mess I’ve made
Inside of me
Come decorate, Lord
Open up the creaking door
And walk upon the dusty floor
Scrape away the guilty stains
Until no sin or shame remain
Spread Your love upon the walls
And occupy the empty halls
Until the man I am has faded
No more doors are barricaded

Come inside this heart of mine
It’s not my own
Make it home
Come and take this heart and make it
All Your own
Welcome home

Take a seat, pull up a chair
Forgive me for the disrepair
And the souvenirs from floor to ceiling
Gathered on my search for meaning
Every closet’s filled with clutter
Messes yet to be discovered
I’m overwhelmed, I understand
I can’t make this place all that You can

I took the space that You placed in me
Redecorated in shades of greed
And I made sure every door stayed locked
Every window blocked, and still You knocked

Come inside this heart of mine
It’s not my own
Make it home
Come and take this heart and make it
All Your own
Welcome home

Take me, make me
All You want me to be
That’s all I’m asking, all I’m asking

What is God asking of His people? To be invited into every space of our lives; yes, even the messy difficult spaces that we think that we have to hold onto because only we know how to take care of them. Yes, even that one thing that just came to your mind. Yes, even that space that is surrounded by those protective walls; please let me share with you that those protective walls aren’t protecting you, they are holding you prisoner to the pain of that thing and to the enemy of your soul that keeps lying to you by telling you; in a voice that sounds like your own, that these walls will protect you. It’s all lies!

Why can we trust God with these spaces? Because He knows our every cell; our every minute; our every thought. And you know what, He made you; He’s crazy in love with you; and He will carry you!!!

A prayer from Jesus from John 17:26: “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)

What are the spaces that Jesus hasn’t been invited into? Why hasn’t He been invited?

You are so loved!

DANCING WITH JESUS

As a little girl I dreamed of being a dancer. In my dreams, I danced beautifully all around the room. My elegant flowing gown sweeping across the floor like I was floating on air; being glided gracefully by my strong dance partner. We moved as one with grace and poise as though it was effortless. My dance partner and I were alone in the large beautiful space; there was a great glow streaming in through the windows, as though the radiance of God flooded the space. I wanted to stay in this space forever! Such peace. Such grace. Such love and acceptance. No fear. No shame. No hurt.

I am much older now and I still long for this sweet scene. To be dressed in the most beautiful ball gown with my King placing His crown on my head; He takes my hands in His and He glides me around the most beautiful ballroom, His radiance is filling the space. My King takes my hands in His and He glides us around the room in the most elegant dance I have ever seen. My dance with my King Jesus.

God is the creator of all things; an artist beyond our every imagination. He created the movements of dance; the messages of dance. There are so many messages in the art of dance. The artistry of the movements, the emotion of the dance, the connection of the partners; there can be no walls around either partner or the fluidity of the movements are disrupted and disastrous. When dancing with a partner, there cannot be a distance between the partners; either physically or connectively, or the message of the dance will change.

Another thought.

As an adult, I have considered ‘dancing with Jesus’ to be what a Christ follower will get to do once they arrive in Heaven after passing from this earth. I have had a change of mind; I still believe that Christ followers will get to dance with Jesus in Heaven; however, God has shown me that dancing with Jesus is also something that we can do here on earth when we remove the barriers standing between us and Jesus. When we are carrying shame, quilt, fear, wounds, etc., we aren’t able to see Jesus inviting us to dance with Him. These heavy bags also leave us unable to embrace Jesus fully or even get close enough to Him to move around the dancefloor.

So now what?

Every person’s dance looks different. Every person’s journey towards Jesus is different. The fact that is the same for all is that the heavy bags need to be left at the feet of Jesus so that we can take His hands and glide across His dancefloor surrounded by His radiance. Is this an easy task? No, but Jesus will help all along the way. Is it a one and done deal? No, but Jesus will be with you all along the way. Do I have to do this alone? No, you have Jesus and your people.

My dance with Jesus. Through the years, I have always loved to dance; some years the messages from my dancing were ‘different,’ but at this point in my life I see dance as a sign of healing from stuff of the past (Ecclesiastes 3:4; Jeremiah 31:13) and that my dream dance with my King Jesus seems a little more real. My current dance with Jesus looks like worship music in my ears, hands raised in worship, and some swaying back and forth. So if you see me in church during worship and you see my hands raised and body swaying, just know that I am enjoying a sweet dance with my King Jesus because He’s invited me to join Him (Psalm 149:3).

May you spend much time dancing with Jesus; every time He invites you to join Him!

SOARING

“Look up into the heavens.
    Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another,
    calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength,
    not a single one is missing.
²⁷O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
    O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?
²⁸Have you never heard?
    Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
    No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
²⁹He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless.
³⁰Even youths will become weak and tired,
    and young men will fall in exhaustion.
³¹But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.

God’s Help for Israel

41 “Listen in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea.”
Isaiah 40:26-41:1a NLT

Have you ever found yourself so emotionally drained that you just wanted to sleep for a day; maybe two? Have you ever found yourself wondering why this journey of life seems so hard? Have you ever just wondered why you are where you are in this world? Have you ever wondered if anyone else struggles with the same things that you are struggling with? Have you ever believed that isolating yourself from other people is the safe way to journey through this life? Have you ever felt so alone that you believe that if you weren’t around no one would miss you?

Have you ever looked at these thoughts and realized that they aren’t of our Creator God Elohim? God created the stars and gave them each a name. He created each person and gave us each a name and a purpose; and this before time as we know it. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

³¹But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

Close your eyes and envision yourself soaring on the wings of an eagle as if you were soaring with God, in the protection of His wings. What are you seeing as you look around? What are you smelling? What are you feeling? Do you taste anything? What do you hear? Are you at peace or in a state of anxiety? Allow yourself to be present in that moment before you move on.

When you are ready; look ahead in the distance, do you see where you are headed? Where is it? How do you feel about where you are headed? What do you see? How do you feel in the moment? What do you smell? Is there a taste? What do you hear? Are you at peace with what you are experiencing?

What do you see between where you are and where you are going? Where is God in that in-between space?

God’s timing is perfect and His plan is perfect. Trust in His plan. May you be blessed!

INFLUENCE

From my grandma that let me wear her high heels to the grandma that helped me to see that I was different and set apart for God; to the grandma that showed me through her own life what it looks like to follow and serve Jesus. These ladies were of great influence to me as I grew up and as an adult. Their influence; even from childhood, followed me and has walked with me throughout adulthood.

God created each of these ladies with very different personalities and gifts; even the way that they loved me varied greatly. Grandma was very strong and independent; she was confident that she didn’t need anyone because she could surely do everything herself. She was determined to be young and act young until she breathed her last breath; which she truly wanted to be on her terms. Cooking was absolutely not a gift that she was granted; however, her skills at always having bacon available to munch on was well refined.

Grandma was a hard worker and made some pretty amazing molasses cookies. I remember well many servings of canned peaches and pears. I remember her willingness to share her assessment of people’s value and worth. I remember grandma’s mighty strength; even though she was short in height, she had some power behind her. Her words to me have shown me over and over that God has set me apart for His purposes; no matter what the world may say.

Grandma had so many gifts. She was a great cook, she was very creative, she was very organized, and most importantly, she loved God and it showed in all that she said and did. She prayed for a lost young lady and God brought her back to Him. She prayed for a young family and they ended up very involved in the Body of Christ. She prayed and and and… Grandma had great love for God and she shared it with all she came in contact with because she served others, always. Grandma saw value in others and treated others with the value that God gave them. Grandma wasn’t perfect but she used her influence to make a difference in the lives of so many! I am one of those lives; forever changed because of the love and example of my grandma!

We all have influence with everyone around us. It is our choice what we do with that influence. Will it be to show others the path to Jesus? Will it be to lead others to ‘self?’

What will you do with your influence?

“Train up a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 RSV)

“He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” (Luke 6:39-41 NIV)

“Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:13-14 NIV)

#influence#purpose#love

CONNECTIONS

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the need for connection in our lives and the effects of isolation. In the beginning of mankind, God had created a wonderous garden where He placed Adam and Eve; those He created in His own image, to be in connection with them. Sin crept in and caused a separation from what God had intended. In response to the sin, Adam and Eve went into isolation from God in two ways; they attempted to cover up their vulnerability and regret with fig leaves and then when they realized God’s presence in the garden, they attempted to hid from Him out of fear.

“7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
Genesis 3:7-11 (NIV)

So many years later, we are still isolating ourselves from God and others because of the enemy-imposed guilt and shame that we carry. God has given us the antidote to this first generation issue; Love Him and love others. The only way to do this is through connection. We need connection to God through His Holy Spirit and connection to others powered by Holy Spirit. Can I get an ‘Amen!’

Seemingly random questions: What do you talk to your friends about? What would you really like to talk to them about?

“6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)

Who do you have on speed dial and actually call when you are hurting or when things get rough?

Hiding seems to lead to isolation which leads to more isolation and being vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. Unsafe!
Connection to God seems to lead to more connection with Him and a humble vulnerability to His heart and purposes. Safe!
Connection to others; although pain may come, will lead to a growing vulnerability to the love God has intended for His children through the connecting with others in relationship. God’s Love on earth known and felt!

May your connection with God and His people grow stronger and the isolation trick of the enemy become an ugly thing of the past!

#loveandconnection

WHEREVER YOU GO

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphra′tes, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:1-9 RSV)

Earlier this summer, I had the privilege of meeting and talking with a sweet lady that felt led to give me a canvas that had; until that moment, been on her kitchen wall. The canvas reads, “be strong & courageous DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU wherever you go Joshua 1:9.

Since this conversation and sweet gift, I have been given message after message from God of His presence. No matter where we go, no matter what we are doing, no matter who we are with; once we have accepted His free gift of Salvation, He is with us and He will not forsake us.

It’s been during my times of reflecting on God’s presence that I have been reminded of how little we can truly soak up His wonderful Holy Presence when we are rushing from here to there; from this event to that event. Where is there space to breathe Him in?

He is with us wherever we go.

Stop. Breathe in God’s sweet presence. Linger in this moment. Be strong in His embrace. Rest in this space. Take up Bold Courage that can only come from God’s Presence. Be Blessed in His Presence.

SELF

Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, I heard much said about people with low self-esteem. It seemed to be such a sad thing. Something that no one had any control over; if you had low self-esteem, it was just something that you had to learn how to live with it. I repeatedly heard that I suffered with a low self-esteem; ‘poor thing.’ Through my life, I have just learned how to ‘deal with it;’ or maybe it’s more like how to pretend that it’s really not there because who wants to admit to feeling that you have less worth than others around you? This is no pity party; this is reality for so many people. All you have to do is Google low self-esteem and you will see a myriad of websites that will tell you about different levels of self-esteem, how to raise your self-esteem, and how to love yourself. If this weren’t an issue for many, I dare say that there wouldn’t be so much advice about what it is and how to change it.

The focus of ‘self’ has been very much on my heart and mind lately as there seems to me an overabundance of obsession with our-selves. My generation was highly littered with the how-to’s of raising your self-esteem, which lead to a generation of people with inflated self-esteem; i.e. entitlement.

I am searching God’s will and His recipe for an answer to this dilemma. I believe that what we need to seek; instead of a high self-esteem, is a God esteem. If each person were to know their identity in Christ and that they belong to the King of kings and Lord of lords, this dilemma of a low self-esteem would no longer have any power. The enemy would no longer have power. The enemy is defeated; we just need to remind him of that very fact so that he can slither away back into his hole.

At the point of accepting Christ as our Savior; we no longer have the burdens of the self, the burdens of this world. We can carry the easy yoke and the light burden of the Savior and He will assume all the heaviness that is too much for us to handle.

I was reading a how-to blog post; for research sake, about how to ‘love yourself’ and saw another example of how the enemy has counterfeited what God has given to us. The benefit that I took from this blog post was the need for me to share with you how to truly grow into the masterpiece that God created you to be, when He planned for you and your purpose so long ago.

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Throw away the self-help books and pick up your Bible and read it.
Spend time in prayer and silence with God. God created you and He adores you! How wonderful is it to spend time with someone who knows your every cell and has been with you for every moment of your life and loves you like no human being has the capacity to?
Spend time with other believers. Go to church, join a small group, take a discipleship class, do something with other believers that will encourage you and hold you accountable. NOTE: Focusing on ourselves all the time leads to isolation which leads to an unhealthy mind and an open target for the enemy to attack your thinking.

Romans 12:2 (NLT) “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

YOU ARE LOVED! YOU ARE ACCEPTED! YOU BELONG TO GOD! YES, I AM TALKING TO YOU!

DRAGONFLIES & SORROW

The life of a dragonfly begins as an egg laid underwater and it remains under water for the majority of it’s life. It is only after two to five years of toughing it out in the water that a larvae emerges into the sunlight, breaking out of its exoskeleton and transforms into the beautiful flying creature that has become a symbol of transformation and resilience.

A dragonfly’s life can be looked at in stages; the first stage being the egg, the second stage being the larvae, and the third stage being the dragonfly with wings to fly. Many people look at grief and sorrow in the same way. The experts have shared that there are stages of grief and how we need to move through each stage so that we can get to the ‘sunlight’ and be somehow on the other side of grief. Unlike the life stages of a dragonfly, the ‘stages of grief’ are not linear and those experiencing them may not experience everyone of them or experience them just once. It is possible to experience several of the stages in one day, only to experience all the same in the next day. What is similar with grief and sorrow to the stages of life of the dragonfly is that when we are strong enough to climb out of the proverbial water and break out of our grieving exoskeleton, we can grow our soaring wings and fly in the life that God created us for with the strength that He has created in us through the under water experience of grief.

During our times of underwater grief, we can be in a big hurry to get out of the water and make it to the sunlight; however, to rush to the sunlight we miss out on the strength that can be gained by living in the depths of the pain and sorrow of grief. Please hear my heart, I am not saying that we need to stay in the depths and just live there; I am saying that we need to swim toward the pain of the loss and allow God to grow us through it. In His infinite wisdom, God will give us the strength to grow in and through this pain and sorrow and then equip us to emerge from the water with the strength to soar in the life that He created us to live.

In our hurried and rushed life, we think that we need to get from here to there quickly; in reality, we sometimes just need to ‘be.’ Be in the moment. Be in the pain. Be in the sorrow. And know that God will be with us through it all.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

⁷“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

As we are strengthened and ready to emerge from the deep waters of pain and sorrow, what awaits us is a life where we can break out of the grief and grow our wings to soar in the strength that we have gained through our season in the water. The tree mention in Jeremiah 17:8 got it’s strength from weathering many storms through many seasons. It does not fear because it has experienced life and grown through it. We can trust God and put our confidence in Him because our growth and strength; not only comes from Him, but with Him.

NOTE: If you are journeying through grief, I highly recommend reading “A Grace Disguised: how the soul grows through loss” by Jerry Sittzer.

REFLECTIONS

Reflecting on the celebrations of the Fourth of July look a little different for my family than other families. I have heard several times Happy Fourth or Happy Independence Day! While I celebrate the blessings of living in a ‘free’ land, I also grieve the loss of my son on this day. It’s with mixed emotions that I venture into this day. I am so grateful for my independence as a citizen of the USA and I am; at the same time, sad for the missing part of my family and grateful that I can know that Tad’s in the presence of our Heavenly Father and not spending eternity separate from Him. I hate that I can’t be with Tad and I miss him more than I can speak; however, truly he has always been God’s son first and mine second so I am thankful for the 22 short years that I had the privilege of being his mom. Of course, there were times when I really wanted to string him up by his toes because he pushed me to my breaking point; but I still loved him with all my heart.

Tad liked to live on the edge; of what, I don’t know but always on the edge. He loved much. He liked to make people laugh. And he always helped me to not take myself so seriously. Boy, I miss his hugs. (I know, random thought.) Anyway, grieving the loss of my son has been a journey in so many ways. I have seen God work in more ways than I could ever imagine. I have had people pray for me that I have never met. I have experienced a pain like no other pain I have ever experienced before; and at the same time, a love like no other because it comes from my Abba Father. Grief is a wild ride.

The reason that I share all of this today is because today; the Fourth of July 2022, marks eight years since my Tad went to be with the Lord because of a motorcycle accident. The day began with a celebration of my husband’s birthday. His birthday is July third and he had to work on that day so we; as a family, celebrated on the fourth. God blessed us with a fun day of playing with Emmett at the ‘frog park’; as he called it, and then we went shopping together. My husband took his Harley out for a ride while our kids and I made his favorite meal. After dinner, Tad went for a ride himself on his dad’s Harley. When he left for that ride, it was the last time we saw him. As anyone who has experienced something like this knows, the details of such days tend to be forever implanted in your mind. Sometimes they get a little jumbled, but they are there. Tad’s son Emmett was three years old when he lost his daddy. It’s been a journey for him as well. Emmett is now 11 years old and is so much like his dad. I know that Tad would be so proud of the man that he is becoming!

Emmett and I have had some interesting conversations where he shares with me his thoughts on things of life and I felt it fitting for him to share from his perspective.

Question: What do you wish people understood about what it’s like to be a young person whose lost his dad at a young age?

Emmett: It’s not easy only having one parent especially when the one that died was your best friend and the only one left you don’t really get along with.

Question: How is life without a dad to guide you through life?

Emmett: It can be hard at times. Sometimes I think it’s not fair. But I always remember this is all part of God perfect plan.

While the people around us celebrate with fireworks and parades, we just work to get through the day and remember how blessed we are for the loved ones that we still have with us today. One of the things that makes me smile is remembering how Tad would have been happy that he went to Heaven with a bang because fireworks were happening in the area of his accident. This may seem like a strange thing to smile about, unless you knew Tad.

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

This morning I was reminded of God’s great faithfulness. I was listening to a song titled “Goodness of God” and was just surrounded by the blessing of the presence of my Abba’s goodness and His faithfulness.

No matter what is happening in my mind; He is good and He is faithful. No matter what is happening in the world around me; He is good and He is faithful. No matter if the world is crashing in around me; He is good and He is faithful. No matter if I like the circumstances I find myself in; He is good and He is faithful. No matter if everything around me is going smoothly and amazing; He is good and He is faithful. No matter what; He is good and He is faithful.

We have all had struggles in our lives and I am no exception to that rule. But God is Good and He is faithful. When I was young and going through difficult times, Jesus was there. He is good and He is faithful. When I made stupid choices and suffered the consequences as a teenager, Jesus was there. He is good and He is faithful. When I said ‘I Do’, Jesus was there. He is good and He is faithful. When I gave birth to my (God’s) babies, Jesus was there. He is good and He is faithful. When I was beside myself in the struggles of parenting and being a wife, Jesus was there. He is good and He is faithful. When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and then passed away 11 weeks later, Jesus was there. He is good and He is faithful. When I became a grammy to my first grandson (at a young age, wink wink), Jesus was there. He is good and He is faithful. When my heart was broken from the loss of my son, Jesus was there. He is good and He is faithful. When my family grew through the addition of a son-in-law; then another grandson; and then a grand daughter, Jesus was there. He is good and He is faithful. Through the years of my dad’s failing health and subsequent passing, Jesus was there. He is good and He is faithful. Through my whole life; no matter the circumstances, Jesus has been there because He is good and He is faithful!

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

I will leave you with some of the lyrics from the song I referenced in the beginning.

“Goodness of God” by Bethel Music

“… I love You, Lord
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

… And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

… I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In the darkest night
You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father
I’ve known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God (yeah)

… And all my life You have been faithful (oh)
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God (yeah)

… ‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me (oh-oh)”

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