Dawn Dish Soap:  Tough on Grease, Gentle on Wildlife – We are in the middle of verifying this one as our daughter’s dog was sprayed by a skunk tonight and they are on wash #4 or 5!

Windex: Big Fat Greek Wedding would use it for literally everything!

And then there is Apple Cider Vinegar!  A shot a day keeps the doctor away!  Aaaaand you can use it as a window cleaner or fabric softener!

These commercial cure-alls are fun to consider, but God has the ULTIMATE Cure-All for everything and everyone, every time and place:  Prayer!  
Talk to Him.
Listen to Him.
Spend time with Him.
Trust Him.

Whatever is going on….He IS able!

“Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.”  I Chronicles 16:11

Let’s talk about ice cream.  REAL ice cream!  Not the frozen dairy dessert or soft serve confection popular at this time of year.  I’m talking about the kind of ice cream that freezes rock solid and bends your spoon as you try to sneak a little scoop!

Real ice cream is costly – it’s an investment!
Real ice cream takes patience to scoop – it’s worth the wait!
Real ice cream has good ingredients – it’s better for you!
Real ice cream is delicious – it’s worth it all!

How are your friendships these days?  Like real ice cream?  Or like a frozen dairy dessert?
How is your relationship with God?  Soft serve?  Artificial?  Cheap?
Or a sweet investment worthy of your all?

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”  Psalm 34:8

Good Beginnings is the name of our Preschool at our church.  (It actually should be called GREAT Beginnings!)  As you can imagine, there are many wonderful celebrations of a child’s firsts at Good Beginnings: first teacher, first recess, first time reading, first time owning a Bible!  🙂

Life is filled with good beginnings – even when they feel like endings.  Ohhhhhh, all the emotions and hopes and dreams and fears and unknowns woven in to a life-changing ceremony like graduation from kindergarten, high school and college; a wedding; new baby; retirement, etc.

Cheer!  Enjoy!  Weep!  Gather with friends!  And always remember:  God is good!  All the time!  ALLLLLLL the time!

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17

By the sacrifice of Jesus, God does not see our weeds and our messes – He only sees our beauty!  Ohhhhhh how He gazes at us with such undeniable and undefinable love!  We are His handiwork!  (Ephesians 2:10) and He rejoices over us with singing! (Zephaniah 3:17)

Whatever season you are in today, rest in His beautiful promises:
“You are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you” Isaiah 43:4

Oh, how I love to sit on my porch early in the morning….to enjoy the beautiful flowers, the hope of vegetables and berries, and to appreciate my husband’s care of our lawn.  I can easily default to see only the weeds and the overgrown messes, but I intentionally choose to focus on the beauty.

Which version of God do you see?  Does He stare as a judge, ready to condemn us?  Or does He look at us with admiration?  With anticipation of sweet fruit?  

Psalm 23 – a very popular and comforting passage of Scripture: “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul…”  Ahhhhh….can you feel the comfort?  The Heavenly Father gathering you in His arms?  Could you use a little soul restoration about now?

Let’s keep walking through the Psalm: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” Psalm 23:4
Wait a minute!  I was just secure in the Shepherd’s care!  Now I’m facing death!?  “Yet You are with me;”  Also Psalm 23:4.  Phew!  God is with us and we have nothing to fear!

Keep going: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” Psalm 23:5What a wild ride!  Now I’m sitting with my enemies?  Deep breath!  Let’s remember just one verse back:  God is with us and providing for us – even in the presence of our enemies.

Are you exhausted yet?  Do you see why we can’t focus on our emotions or our circumstances?  All throughout this Psalm (and many others) the writer teeters back and forth between faith and doubt, fear and hope.  Can you relate?  Regardless of your circumstances, seek the Lord first, most and only!

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  Psalm 23:6 

Spring is springing all around us!  The canopies of trees are bowing down with their rain-laden leaves.  The wildflowers are starting to pop out along roadsides.  And the beautiful songs of birds FILL the air!

Wait a minute – are they allergens or are they beauty?
Are they weeds or are they flowers?
Are they nuisance animals or are they God’s amazing creatures?

What lens are you wearing today?

I hope and pray that whatever you have going on in your life you can put on the lens of beauty and praise to God for His eternal power and divine nature found in everything and everyONE!

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”  Romans 1:20

Mirror Mirror of my heart, Who receives my devotion – in whole – not in part?
Take a look deep inside….inside your emails, your pile of receipts, your calendar. Even as you look in the mirror tonight before bed, consider whose image you are bearing:  

A sports hero?  An influencer?  A peer?
Every person’s story begins with:  Once Upon a TimeAnd for those who call Jesus, Lord, their story will end with:  And They Lived Happily Ever After!  

But what about alllllll that time in between?  Who do you aspire to be?  Who do you try to please?  Whose affection do you desire?  Any answer other than being a fully devoted follower of Jesus will leave you wanting…

So pull out the Windex and get that mirror shining!

“You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”  Colossians 3:9-10

My mom passed away almost a year ago.  Going through her treasures always produces a wide variety of emotions:

– Guilt – Who am I to look through my mom’s innermost notes and thoughts?
– Admiration – Wow!  What a woman of God who remained faithful her entire life!
– Worship – Thank You Lord for gifting us our precious mom who loved her family so very fiercely!
– Wonder – I often wonder if I will ever be able to live up to Mom’s example?
– Joy – Ohhhhh, how I treasure the memories of Mom!
– Awe – How did Mom do it all?

And then I find it!   In her Bible I am reminded of the answer to alllll my questions:  Mom loved Jesus!  She loved His Word!  She loved her church family!  She loved praying!  Ohhhhhh, how she loved praying for anyone AND everyone!  (I’ll show you her prayer charts sometime!)

And so, the guilt is gone!  I am honored to read over her perfect penmanship, copying precious Bible verses.  I am inspired by her sweet little reminders of the important dates of loved ones.  And I am ever more fully devoted to follow her example to love one another deeply!

Thanks Mom!  I can hear your voice right now:
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”  I Corinthians 11:1

Imagine the scene….10 preschoolers in uniforms, gloves and baseball hats.Baseballs rolling…..EVERYWHERE!  A few children crying or digging in the dirt…..The t-ball season will kick off with the first hit (we hope a hit!) in 1 minute! Everyone in their places!

And then I saw it….a tiny version of Hebrews 12:1 right before my eyes!  You see, behind each player stood a grown up, someone to whisper direction in their ear, give encouragement after a wise play or protect the child from injury.

Can you see it on that t-ball field?
Can you feel it in your own life?
Are you surrounded with a team of “grown ups” eager to lovingly guide, encourage and protect you?

We were not made to navigate this life alone.  Get yourself surrounded!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”  Hebrews 12:1,2

Can you juuuuuust about smell and taste the strawberries and peaches and all the other delicious signs of summer?  These past few warm days have been such an encouragement as we dry out from a very soggy winter/spring!

Have you ever felt like you were in a soggy season?
A bitter cold season?
A season when leaves are falling and days are getting darker?

Get out your fun shorts and fancy flip flops and rest in Psalm 34!

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”  Psalm 34:8