All That Matters This Christmas Eve

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.  This is my favorite version of the Christmas story to read each year.  Something about reading it in KJV that brings back so many memories.  This is really all that I think needs to be said today.  Share the joy of the gospel with all you can, this Christmas season! 

Luke 2:1-20

King James Version (KJV)

2 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

² (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
³ And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
¹⁵ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
¹⁶ And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
¹⁷ And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
¹⁸ And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

After the Vote

This morning I'm going to do something that I have been careful to not do so far. I'm going to talk about the presidential election, but I want to make it clear that I'm still not attempting to dip my toe in politics.  I'm compelled not by a great desire to share my political opinions, because I think we have been inundated with WAY too many opinions from WAY too many people.  I am instead sharing my faith, my beliefs and my thoughts on how we as believers are to respond to any election at any time.  

Here's the deal: for me, nothing has changed as I wake up this morning, and I don't mean that because the president has been re-elected.  Had he lost, I would be saying the same thing.  I vote because it is my duty and privilege to do so as an American.  I have voted in every presidential election since 1992 when I was 18 years old, and as a black woman I'm extremely aware of the fact that people fought and died for my right to vote.  I do vote.  I do not vote with the belief that any candidate is my hope.  I place my trust in Jesus Christ, not in men.  Yes, I understand that men take actions that impact our nation, but I trust even more that God directs every man whether that man is aware of it or not.  If He can use Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar, surely he can use a US president. 

As I stood in the voting booth, I saw a choice between a man who says he shares my faith but has spoken opinions that are opposed to the Bible and a man who doesn't share my faith at all.   I knew God's direct intervention was going to be necessary with either candidate.  When the results came in last night, I didn't think, "Well, now I really need to pray."  I thought that months ago, before I knew who would win.  I started praying then and last night, I just continued to pray.  

I pray because there is too much hatred among Americans.  As believers we are not supposed to be haters, but prayers.  We are to stand for God and what His Word says is true, but we can do that without beating the tar out of others verbally or physically.  I pray because we have a government that talks a lot, but can't seem to get anything done.  I pray because people who were unemployed yesterday are still unemployed today, and they need to work to care for themselves and their families.  I pray because women are making the decision to abort their pregnancy not because of a political belief, but out of desperation, ignorance, and a false sense of a solution, with no clue that this decision will be one they grieve until the day they die.  I pray because marriages are failing and families are being destroyed every day.  I pray because each day on the news there is another story of a man, woman or child being brutally murdered by some sick person out there.  I pray because people are going to hell, completely unaware that the sinful choices they are making each day are keeping them separate from God, and that Jesus Christ is the only way to bridge that gap.  

I love being an American and I'm proud of our country, but I never forget that our nation exists in a fallen world and is flawed and damaged as a result, just as every other nation in this world is. That being the case, you're not going to hear me despair over a particular candidate, you're going to hear me despair over the state of our world.  In a fallen world I vote every four years for the candidate I think is best, but I put my trust every day in the Savior of this world!

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.       1 John 4:5-6

What is Your "Right Now"?

My twenty year high school reunion is next weekend and all of the old old photos and videos being posted on our Facebook site has started a montage of memories playing in my head. One of those memories, embarrassing though it may be, is of seeing what I then thought was the funniest movie ever, Wayne's World with my friends several times.  Now, for those of you too young to remember the early 90's, Wayne's World started out as a skit on Saturday Night Live (yes, it was on WAY back then) and became so popular that it was turned into a movie.  It was all about two best friends who were completely into rock and roll, had no jobs, and decided to produce their own public access talk show.  We laughed at their ridiculous catch phrases and general lack of ambition in life, and yet found them endearing enough to cheer for them along the way.  One particular moment in the movie that was a favorite of mine, was when Wayne was staring through a shop window at a guitar that he desperately wanted, and his friend Garth yelled at him from the car "Stop torturing yourself man, you'll never afford it.  Live in the now!".  I threw in the clip for those of you who remember 1992 and for those of you who want to see what 1992 looked like.  

That line, "live in the now" is one of those phrases that I continued to use long after I forgot where it came from, and while it was written for comedic effect in a movie that should have only appealed to 13-18 year old boys (what does that say about me), I find it to be incredibly profound and relevant.  So many of us struggle to do just that: live in the now.  We dream and wish for future things and spend all of our "right now" waiting for our "not yet".  In doing so, we miss out on what God has put directly in front of us.  Whether you are looking ahead to a future career, future spouse, future family or anything else in the future, you have to be careful not to miss the "right now" in your life.  Too often we make decisions based on what might be instead of on what is right now.  Why do we do this?  I blame Jeremiah 29:11.  Actually, I blame the way people use Jeremiah 29:11 out of context like a fortune cookie or a Magic 8-Ball.   Christians love this verse.  You can find it on magnets, journals, bookmarks, t-shirts, wall plaques, and tattoos all around.  Now don't get me wrong, this is a great verse.  In fact, when I moved to Dallas to go to seminary and pursue full time ministry, I took this verse with me as my motivational verse, and with good reason.  This verse is a beautiful picture of God's love for us and the fact that He has a perfect will and purpose for our lives. 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

However, most people fail to read this verse in context and miss the whole message.  You see, these words are spoken by the prophet Jeremiah to the Israelites who were living in exile in Babylon, instead of in their home of Jerusalem.  Basically, a foreign king had come in, taken over their land and took a lot of the key leaders back to his main city where he could separate them from the rest of their people and keep them from plotting to rebel against him.  God sent a message to those people through Jeremiah, because He wanted to encourage them, but He also wanted to instruct them on how to handle the right now.  In verse 11, He is offering encouragement; he reassures them that He has a plan and it is good.  This is great news as they all want to get back home and get back to being under their own leadership.   However, if you start reading this chapter at the beginning you will see that this message from God started with the instructions to settle in, build houses, plant crops and have babies because they are going to be in Babylon for 70 years!  While, God had a great plan and future for their people that would mean bringing them back home, He did not plan on doing any of that for another 70 years.  

As believers, it is vitally important that we trust God with our future and hope for what is to come, but a part of that trust is living in our "right now".  Too often, we put things on hold because we are waiting for that promised future and are missing the "right now" He has given us. That means if your "right now" is being a 17 year-old girl, then be the best 17 year-old girl you can be for Christ!  I met an amazing high school senior last week who is living her "right now" by starting a ministry for the other high school girls, their moms and the female faculty of her school.  I was so excited to see that she had taken an idea and not put it on the shelf for some future date, but was making it happen right now.   If you are a single woman in your 20's or 30's, God has something for you to do right now that you won't be able to do once you get married.  Sure, He has a future and a hope for your someday married life, but if that is all you are focused on, you're missing what He has for you right now.  Married ladies, the same thing goes for you.  Whether you are waiting for children, waiting for your small children to grow up, waiting for your teenage children to get out, or waiting for your marriage to get better, I guarantee that God has something for you to do RIGHT NOW!  Yes, that "right now" may look different than that someday, but that is the point.  Ecclesiastes 3 tells us "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven."   That means there is something for the season you are in right now. 

I hope you understand that my point in all of this is not to tell you to stop dreaming, praying, or hoping for the God-given desires of your heart.  I certainly have not stopped doing that, but I have started looking at what is right in front of me and making decisions and plans based on the season God has me in right now.  I encourage you to do the same, or as my old friend Garth would say, "Live in the now!!"

Just Forgive Already

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of teaching two app sessions at the Relationology Conference at Fellowship Church.   I taught a session on single  life with one of the pastors on staff, and my former co-worker, Ken Kalloor.  The other session I taught was on the subject of forgiveness in relationships.   It is a subject that I am VERY familiar with, because it is something I have to do over and over again.  I thought I would share some of what I taught and what the Bible has to say about forgiveness because forgiving others is something we all struggle to do.

I mean, let's be honest.  We don't ever want to forgive someone. We are much more comfortable holding our grudge and feeling wronged (which makes us right), than we are forgiving others and releasing them from any debt, be it tangible or intangible.  We want what is due to us, a heartfelt apology.  Actually, what I really want is for the person that has hurt me to come crawling to me on their hands and knees, weeping and tearing at their clothes as they confess (in iambic pentameter) the wrong that they have done and beg for my mercy.  Whoa, now that is a scary insight to my selfish and somewhat Shakespeare influenced brain.  

But what we want, and what God wants from us are not always the same thing.  In this case they are pretty much polar opposites.  God wants us to forgive the undeserving, to show mercy to those that have shown us no mercy, and to offer grace to the graceless. Why?  Because that is exactly what He has done for us. 


"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."  Matthew 6:14-15

God forgave us even though we did not deserve it.  He forgave us, long before we asked for His forgiveness.  He forgave us completely and absolutely without holding it over our heads or making us beg Him for it.  As His children, we must model ourselves after Him.  The fact of the matter is, when you withhold forgiveness from others, you withhold peace and joy from yourself.  We hinder our relationship with God when we refuse to forgive others. He is basically looking at us in those moments and saying, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! AFTER ALL YOU HAVE DONE THAT I HAVE FORGIVEN?! REALLY!?" If you have ever struggled to truly feel forgiven and to make peace with your past sins, I would be willing to bet (if I weren't too cheap to do so) that you are harboring un-forgiveness towards someone else in your life.  You are lacking the peace and joy you desire, because you are dwelling on the anger and bitterness you need to release.  And you know what, the person you won't forgive is probably living life happy as a clam, blissfully unaware of your issues.  The weight you are carrying by not forgiving others is only holding you down, not them. 

"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  Beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." Colossians 3:12-14


I encourage you to make the choice to forgive today.  Forgiving someone is not something you are ever going to want to do, but it is always something you can choose to do. You can make the choice to wipe the slate clean for that person, to erase all of your bitter memories and fantasies of revenge and give that person a fresh start in your heart and mind.  When I'm making that choice, I like to write out a prayer of forgiveness, and then I pray it every day until it no longer chokes me to say the words.  I pray it until I feel it.   I pray it until I can say with complete confidence that I have forgiven that person.  And when that day comes, I usually look around and find I have a new person to forgive, and I start all over again.  

Dealing with Disappointment

Before I got married, my TIVO was my boyfriend.  Or at least, that is what I called him.  He came into my life in 2007, and while he was limited in what he could do for me, when it came to knowing when my shows came on and recording them, he never failed me. He even suggested other shows he thought I would like, and made sure to capture anytime Denzel Washington was on TV either in a movie or on a morning talk show.  Yes, for those of you who don't know, TIVO is a brand of DVR (digital video recorder).  THE brand, if you ask me.  I must confess, even in marriage, I still see my TIVO on the side.  We don't spend as much time together as we did when I was single, but he has faithfully recorded for me nonetheless.

However, a few weeks ago, he let me down.  Now, I know some of you have never found yourself attached to a television series at all, but many of us find ourselves completely addicted to one show or another.  That show for me is "So You Think You Can Dance".  A competition reality  show, SYTYCD(it's right, you don't need to check it) brings me week after week of amazing choreography, great dancing, and entertaining judges, and I am a REAL fan.  I vote.  Weekly.  From the beginning of the season.  Ever since I let Travis Wall down in Season 3 and missed the finale competition night and failed to vote (this was pre-TIVO), I've made sure to never miss a finale night, and have assured my favorite a victory every year since,...until a couple of weeks ago, when for reasons I still don't quite understand, TIVO did not record the finale competition night.  To say I was devastated is embarrassing since it is only a TV show, so let's just say I was quite disappointed and leave it at that.  In fact, I was so upset, that refused to watch the finale result show for more than a week after it aired.  I reminded myself that it is just a TV show, but in many ways, the season was ruined for me by not being able to participate in that final, crucial week.

Yes, I do realize that in the big scheme of life, this disappointment barely registers on the scale.  It has not come close to being my greatest let down of this summer even, but my feelings and my response revealed to me on a small scale, how I deal with disappointment, and I realized I needed an attitude adjustment.  You see, how we feel when life lets us down is not something we can choose, but how we respond to those feelings is.  God expects us to feel disappointed, frustrated, angry, hurt, sad, or betrayed when these things happen, but He also expects us to  respond in a way that reflects our faith in Him.  To pout, whine, complain, or do any other adult equivalent of taking your ball and going home is to behave in a manner that does not bring glory to our God.  

This week I faced a much greater disappointment in my life than missing a TV episode.  In the first moments of that disappointment I found myself praying.  I began asking God for comfort, strength, and a right reaction.  He brought two verses to my mind as an answer to that prayer: 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding."  Proverbs 3:5

"Know that the Lord is God! He made us and we are His." Psalm 100:3

These are two verses that I have known for a long time, but I had never put them together like this before.  They reminded me that God is God and I am not.  He knows what is best for me because He created me.  His timing and His plan for my life are perfect, and I can not question that because I am the creation, not the creator.  All I need to do is trust Him and not try to out think or out plan Him.  In essence, the responsibility of the plan of my life is on Him; the responsibility of how I live that life He plans is on me.  As you face disappointments in your life, don't do the adult equivalent of stomping off to your room and slamming the door.  Choose to respond in a way that shows you belong to Christ.  Be joyful and loving,  praise God with true enthusiasm, press on and continue to grow in Him, and be thankful for what you do have in your life.  Let your response show that you know this current disappointment is just a temporary setback in a life that is committed to an eternal, faithful, and loving God. 

5 Shoes I Can't Live Without

I love shoes.  I mean I really loooove shoes.  I can try on shoes all day, and if God had not taught me to be disciplined with my money (and married me to my husband) I would buy a new pair of shoes weekly.  Daily, if I thought I could afford it.  I often say to my husband when he looks perplexed over what he sees as "another" pair of brown shoes, you can never really have all the shoes you want.  However, I do feel there are 5 essential pairs of shoes that you need.  Before you get to the list, I want to say right now, functional athletic sneakers are not going to be found on this list.  I know they are a necessity, but like flip flops, I don't really think of them as shoes in the same way I don't think of socks as clothes.  They are true necessities, so don't look for them on this list.


1. Black Heels: 

You may have heard about the LBD (little black dress) that every woman should have.  I believe in the LBH -- little black heels.  A great pair of black heels that can be worn with everything from your jeans to your favorite date night dress.  These should be heels with enough height to give you some sass, but not so high that you have to valet everywhere you go.  If you live in a part of the nation where the weather goes from hot to very cold, you may need a summer pair and a winter pair.  I live in Texas so I have one peep-toe pair that I can wear year-round.

2. Tall Boots:

I fell in love with the tall boot when I was a toddler.  My mom had these great boots she used to tuck her jeans into in the '70's that defined womanhood for me.  When I was fifteen I got my first pair of knee-high boots in black suede, and I wept. I'm not kidding.  A great pair of tall boots in black, brown, or grey (or all three) can keep you warm in a skirt, show off your legs in leggings, or class up your skinny jeans!

3. Neutral Wedge:

Now that I'm in my thirties, I find that I can't rock my painful heels with as much glee as I could in my twenties, so my appreciation for the wedge has grown tremendously.  A great wedge in a neutral tone can be the perfect shoes to take on a trip when luggage space is limited.  The right pair can go causal or dress up an outfit and will keep you from weeping as you hobble home at the end of a long work day.

4. Pop of Color:

I remember talking to one of my close friends a while back and having her tell me that all her shoes were brown, black or grey.  She didn't own a single pair of shoes in a bright color.  I realized in that moment that I had failed her as a friend.  A pop of color shoe is like a secret weapon.  Pick your favorite color be it hot pink, lipstick red, electric blue, sunny yellow, or leprechaun green ( yes I made that one up).  Don't obsess over what you have that will match them, because that is not the goal. You'll be shocked at how one pair of shoes can completely change your black dress or spice up your white button down and jeans.  I'm talking about instant style sass in a box!

5. Sparkly Heels: 

I know some of you read sparkly and cringe, but before you shut me down hear me out.  Sparkly doesn't have to be sequins and glitter.  A high sheen patent leather will do, but have at least one pair of shoes that dazzle when the light hits them.  I like to get mine in a soft color so the sparkle is what stands out.  Rock them with a great top and muted slacks or jeans.  Whip them out for your next wedding or to ring in the new year.  I like to wear them on days when I feel blue as a pick me up.  Every time I look down at my feet I smile!

There's my list.  Feel free to comment, agree, or disagree.  Then head to DSW and earn some Rewards points!

So, What's This Blog About Anyway?

There is an inevitable day in every blogger's life where we have to ask the question: Why on earth am I blogging.  Let's face it, there are a LOT of blogs out there, and it is easy to believe that you have nothing new to contribute.  We have all had "deep" thoughts that later, after a good night's sleep or a strong dose of caffeine, revealed themselves to be nonsensical ramblings.  Knowing this, I decided to take a moment and ask myself what my blog is all about. 

My answer was pretty simple, once I thought about it. I have a unique story.  I'm not saying no one has ever done any of the things I've done or experienced any of the things I've experienced.  However, the complete story that is my life is mine alone.  The home I grew up in, the parents that raised me, the places I've been, the education I've received, the MANY mistakes I've made along the way all combine and result in a life that is unique.  That means my perspective is unique, and my voice is unique.  God created each of us to be unique individuals with unique purpose in His kingdom. The things God puts on my heart to work on and share can only come from me in this particular way. 

I don't for a moment believe that I'm discovering or revealing something new about Christ or living the Christian life.  That would be foolishly arrogant of me.  What I do believe is that God is continuously teaching and growing me through various life experiences, trials, tests, and relationships. It is that ongoing journey that I want to share in my blog in the hopes that someone out there can benefit from some of my lessons and failures.  The Bible is full of stories of people who were struggling and growing, and we learn from them.  In the same way, I believe God wanted us to have community in the Christian world so we could learn from each other, encourage each other, hold each other accountable, and love on each other as we all work together to finish the race.  

So what is my blog about?

An ordinary woman living real life, powered by an extraordinary God, sharing what I learn with others who want to please God daily.  Walk, run, and stumble along with me as we attempt together to be Christians and be real in our everyday lives at work, at school, at home, and everywhere else we go!

Ask for Help. I Dare You.

"I can do it by myself!"  Find just about any two-year-old anywhere in the nation, and you're likely to hear this proudly and loudly declared as they attempt to put on a shirt or open a container.  With no little irony, such phrases are often followed by an exaggerated struggle, lots of grunting, and eventual tears as things don't quite work out.  I don't have my own little person, but I have had the pleasure of observing this phenomenon occur with many of my friends' children.  It is always equally fascinating and amusing to me.  The bold determination for independence, the complete inability to see their own limitations, the utter despair and surprise when failure knocks them back never cease to amaze and entertain me. I keep thinking they shouldn't be surprised when it happens to them over and over, and yet they are.  I keep thinking they will eventually realize the value of receiving help when it is really needed, but they just don't.   I then think that someday, they will grow older and wiser and realize how much easier life is when we ask for help....

....And then I find myself laughing at my own joke, because I am far from the age of two, yet I am guilty of the same behavior at times.  I like to boldly declare that "I can do it myself" when it comes to handling challenges and obstacles in my life.  If you are watching, you might spot me struggling to work through a situation, with lots of grunting in the form of complaints and "why me's", and eventual tears when things just don't seem to work out.  I'm less amused and fascinated because now it is happening to me, but at least I'm beginning to recognize the same pattern follows us into our adult years.  Whether the reason is the same stubbornness that plagued us when we were two, or the superhuman mindset that many of us foolishly take on as we grow up, the result is the same. We are standing around struggling through our difficulties when we are surrounded by people ready to lend us a helping hand. 

At my church, one of my volunteer roles is being a part of the prayer team.  At the end of each service members of the prayer team stand in front of the stage so that anyone who needs prayer can come forward and ask for it.  Time after time, someone will come to me in that moment and start by saying, "I don't really like to ask for help, but..."  or "I don't usually ask for help, but...."  I want to say back to them, "Why on earth not?", but I already know the answer.  Pride.  Pride is what keeps us from admitting we need help.  We are too proud to admit we can't do it on our own.  We are too proud to believe that someone else can do something we can't.  We are too proud to say out loud that something is wrong in our work life, our marriage, our dating relationship, or our family.  We don't think anyone could possibly care about us, which is a form of pride: the self-focused, pity party pride.  In the time when we most need help, our pride shuts us down.  The enemy loves how susceptible we are to our pride and feeds us more lies to keep us from asking for help.  You may have heard the proverb, "Pride goes before the fall".  I like The Message version of this verse: 

"First pride, then the crash--the bigger the ego, the harder the fall." 
                                                                                    Proverbs 16:18 (The Message)

So what are we to do?  Humble ourselves enough to ask for help. Ouch. Yes, I know. It hurts me as much to write it as it does you to read it, but it is true.  In every situation where I have tried to solve a problem or overcome an obstacle on my own, I have failed.  My greatest successes have come when I have finally realized I needed help, and asked for it.  Start with God.  He has told us time in again in Scripture that we have power in Him.  The Holy Spirit lives in us to give us power.  He is called our Helper because God knows we need His help!   No one is more aware of our weaknesses than God is, because he intentionally gave them to us.  He created us to have weaknesses so that we would depend on Him all the more. 

"But he[Christ] said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"
                                                                                      2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

We also have our fellow believers.  If you do not have a group of friends who believe in Christ and read his Word and can give you sound, biblical advice (not just their opinions or their own stories), then you need to get some NOW!  I can not begin to tell you how many times I have taken my junk and drama to my friends and had them respond with truth and scripture that served to guide me through my situation.  These are the same friends that I can talk with about "So You Think You Can Dance" or "Once Upon a Time".  These are the same friends that go with me to Fashions Night Out and ooh and aah with me over sheer knee high socks with skirts and men's style blazers for women.  These are the same friends that let me try on their Louboutin shoes and give me great recipes for polenta.  My point being, your believing friends can still be fun and fabulous, so long as they revolve their lives around the Bible.  Just make sure they are friends who speak the truth in love, and tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear. 

"A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.  Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."      
                                                                                         Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NLT)

The greatest lie we can believe is to think that everyone else has it together and is getting through on their own.  That is simply not true.  No one has it all together, and no one is getting through their stuff alone.  So this week,  I want to encourage you to ask for help.  Pray to God for help. Pray and ask for better friends in your life if you don't have them. If you have some potential friends, ask them to hang out so you guys can get closer, then ask them for help.  And since those of you struggling with this concept are like me and struggle with pride, let me appeal to you in a way to which your pride won't help but respond.  Ask for help; I dare you!

Word for the Weekend - Retreat!!

Word for the Weekend - Counting Your Words

I'm very excited to bring you something new on my blog: Word for the Weekend.  I'll be posting a video every other Friday to give you a little something to think about over your weekend. Watch it. Comment on it. Share it with your friends.  And of course, have a great weekend!!

1st Day of School

Today is the first day of school for most of the kids in the DFW area.   Yesterday, I asked many kids the same question  as I talked to them at church, "Are you excited for your first day?"  First graders all answered with an eager and emphatic yes.  The junior high students were a little iffy, and most of the high school kids I asked gave a flat out "no".  I imagine this morning various households were filled with younger runs running to the door to get to school and teens dragging themselves (or being dragged) out of bed.  The range of reactions is no mystery.   The young ones have been told that going to school will be an exciting new adventure where they will learn a lot and make new friends.  The older ones have experienced the fun but are focused on the homework, the tests, and the friendship drama that also occurs in the hallways and cafeterias, so they know it is not all roses.

I could not help but make the connection between these students and all of us Christ-followers.  When I think back to my first days as a new believer, I was so excited to be at church every Sunday morning and Wednesday night for worship, Bible study, and pretty much anything they had going on.  I'd had enough of life without a relationship with God, so the promise of this new community, new opportunity to grow, and simply being made new was exhilarating.  Reading my Bible, listening to great messages, and singing songs of praise seemed like the greatest privilege and I dove into it all.  Over a decade later, I see that same reaction from so many new believers at church.  The enthusiasm and energy from the new Christians, the "first graders" of the church,  is contagious as they dive into serving and take in all the teaching they can.

The rest of us are the junior high and high schoolers of the church.  We've lived as believers long enough to know that it takes work, not to earn our relationship with God, but to obey Him.  We know that there are tests and trials that come with being a believer that can be very difficult to get through.  We've experienced the loneliness that comes from having to distance ourselves from friends who were pulling us away from our faith.  We know that life as a Christ-follower is not all roses.  Which might explain why some of us find ourselves dragging like those teenagers.

However, like those teenagers, our problem is that we focus too much on the negatives and forget the positives of the life we get to live.  When I look back on high school along with all those not so fun elements, I remember laughter, fun, new discoveries, and lasting friendships that have stood the test of time.  We need to look back on our experiences as believers and focus not on what has been hard, but on the joy and peace, the faithfulness of our God, the freedom from past strongholds, and the security of having the Holy Spirit present in our daily lives from moment to moment.

We should walk with purposeful strides knowing that God is on our side and has prepared the path that is before us, not drag as though we dread what is coming.  Whatever is coming, God is ready for it, and that makes us ready too.  Whatever we face, God can handle, which means we can handle it if we submit to Him.  We have been promised  peace that surpasses understanding, unspeakable joy, and immeasurable grace.  When we think about all of this, we can shake off the teenage attitude and go back to being the first grader wearing our new outfit with our brand new backpack strapped on our back stepping into our day with a big smile and an expectant heart.

Happy Anniversary

Today, my husband and I are celebrating our third anniversary.  To celebrate, I just want to share with you all, our song!  I walked down the aisle (technically, the stairs) to this song and into the arms of an incredible man!

All the Single Ladies

Last week, I found myself in a conversation with four single women discussing my experiences with dating and waiting before I got married.  As we talked, I was reminded of two things:  the incredible frustration that can come as you wait on the man God has for you, and the fact that I still know more about being single than I do about being married as I did not go on the first date with my now husband until I was thirty-four.  So,  I'm going to share some of that conversation with you, at least my part of it, in the hopes that it can help some of you out there who are still single.  I was going to say that I can't claim to be an expert, but I think 15 years of being single (I start counting from age twenty and count up to the wedding day) actually gives me some pretty solid credibility. 

The reason I start counting singleness from the age of twenty is because that is when you are officially no longer a teenager.  Now, most twenty-year-olds don't identify themselves as single.  I know I didn't, but I think it qualifies.  The funny thing about being single is that you don't feel single right away.  Ironically, most of us don't identify ourselves as being single until we are painfully aware that we are not yet married.  Up until that moment, I was a content young adult, happy to enjoy the freedoms that came with being on my own in the world.  It really did feel like someone flipped a switch on me one day when I was about twenty-six and suddenly the "single" light came on over my head. Not a light so much as a flashing neon sign that screamed to the world, "table for one!"  It was the time in my life when weddings stopped feeling like a party and started feeling like an exercise in pointing out how alone I was, seated at the dreaded singles table with the other desperate folks as I calculated my plan to be in the bathroom when the bouquet toss came around.  Beyonce's "Single Ladies" came out the year Maurice and I were dating, so I didn't have the fun, girl power anthem for my years of bouquet catching.  Oh no, I was single in the years when snarky DJ's liked to play songs like "We Are Family" or "I Will Survive" for that glorious moment.  The former's chorus of "I got all my sisters with me" only served to emphasize we were  a bunch of girls with no guys in our lives, and the latter pointed out that we'd all been dumped.  Awesome. 

Yes, when the feeling of "single" became real, I was acutely aware that my carefully formulated schedule for my life was close to veering off course.  I "planned" to be married by twenty-seven and having my first baby by twenty-eight, so I only had a year to get with the program.  Fortunately for me, by then, I was in a relationship with Christ, so I knew that I was not to grab any guy that came along, but wait for the one He had for me.  In fact, when I became a Christian at twenty-five, I spent the first year and half with no interest in dating.  I was growing closer to God, and knew a man would be a distraction. I read a book that suggested a six month hiatus on dating while you worked on such things, and I happily made the commitment, even saying to myself and Jesus that I probably needed a year, with my past mistakes.  So, at twenty-six,  I felt like I had done some good work on me with the Lord's help, and I was ready for my knight to appear.  By the time I was approaching my twenty-seventh birthday, I began to grow a bit restless, and found myself taking an evangelistic approach to dating a guy I'd met at work.  That's when you date a guy who doesn't have a relationship with Christ, but is willing to go with you to church sometimes, so you convince yourself that God has brought you into his life to lead him to Jesus and then marry him. Yeah.  That doesn't work.  What it led me to was sin, personal failure, and a whole new bucket of junk to take to the Lord for healing and forgiveness.  I slipped from my re-commitment to sexual purity and it felt all the worse, because this time I knew without a doubt that it was sin.  To make matters worse, I had prayed for God to take me out of the relationship if it was not right, and He gave me several clear opportunities to get out, including having the guy attempt to break up with me, but I did not take advantage of them.  I felt foolish and suddenly realized that I might not be able to trust myself to make the best decisions when dating, so I prayed a high risk dating prayer.  

At the age of twenty-seven, I prayed that the next guy I date be THE guy and that I would not have any more casual dates or boyfriends.  I was ready to wait for my husband. I really was.  Of course, I didn't know that would mean seven years without a date.  SEVEN YEARS!  I know that Jacob had to work seven years for Rachel and the Bible says it seemed like only a few days because of his great love for her, but I didn't have Maurice to look at and get to know over those seven years, so it felt like a few decades to me!  Seven years of solo time.  Seven years of New Year's Eves with no one to kiss.  Seven years of holding no one's hand outside of prayer time and babysitting.  Seven years of take-out for one and movies by myself.  Okay, I still go to movies by myself because you aren't supposed to be talking to anyone during the movie, but that is not my point here.  SEVEN YEARS!

However, what took place in those seven years was more than meals alone and hiding in the bathroom during the bouquet toss (yes, I really did that).  During those seven years, God called me into full-time ministry. I left my friends, family, and church to move to Dallas and study at seminary.  During those seven years God led me to Fellowship Church where my ministry skills were honed and developed.  During those seven years, God revealed to me my gifts as a speaker and teacher of His word.  During those seven years I made some of the greatest friendships of my life.  During those seven years, God directed me to Christian counseling where I worked through a great deal of my past sin and guilt and began to truly allow the Lord to work on my heart and change me for His purposes. During those seven years I sat under teaching about marriage and relationships and began to develop a biblically informed view of what I needed most in a husband.  During those seven years, I learned how to be a better steward of my finances.  During those seven years I got to travel to Europe with my sister and New York and Boston and D.C. with my friends.  Most importantly, during those seven years, I learned to put God first in my life. I became wholly dependent on my relationship with Him, which made me whole.  

In that conversation last week, one of the women asked me how I knew Maurice was the one.  To be honest, I didn't know right away. What I knew right away was that he was a Christ-follower, and I knew it not because he said it, but because he lived it.  He'd been at the church for two years before he ever asked me out and I'd seen him serve faithfully Sunday after Sunday.  I saw him attend bible study classes whenever we had them.  He was often one of the last guys hanging around helping clean up after events and did so without ever having to be asked.  The only thing I really knew about him when he asked me out was the sincerity of his relationship with Christ and his servant's heart.  It was after we began dating that I learned he was funny and witty, intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, athletic, and smart with his finances.  The most important quality that I knew I needed in a man was a strong, individual relationship with Christ.  I had a long list of other qualities I wanted, but that was at the top and at first that was all I was sure of when it came to my guy.  

So what is my point? I have several.  God's timing is better than your timing, so trust Him to bring your man to you at the right time.  God wants you to work on you right now so do the work: read His word, pray, seek Christian counseling, go to church, and submit yourself to that work.  I'm not telling you that your man will come when God is done working on you, because God is NEVER done working on you.  I'm just telling you that you can't put the work on pause while you wait for a man.  The work starts with the relationship with Christ, so get working and keep working.  Also, you have a life to live while you wait, so live it.  Take trips, make friends, try new things, don't save it all until you get married or you'll be missing a lot!  Learn everything you can about being married God's way from the Bible, your church, your married Christian friends, etc.  You won't even realize how much you are taking in and being prepared until after you get married.  Finally, I have to tell you the old adage is true.  Run towards Christ and then one day you'll look to the side and see a man running alongside you towards Christ, and he will be the man for you.  This is vital because to stay married you'll both have to keep running towards Him.  Trust God to bring the right man into your life at the right time, because you will have to trust Him to keep your marriage together for the rest of your lives.  The exercise in faith that is being single and waiting is merely preparation for the faith required to stay married for the rest of your lives. I'm just sayin'!

Beautiful, peaceful morning.

The Best Laid Plans...

So I arrived at Allaso Ranch yesterday afternoon with a message ready. I'd been asked to speak to the students about bringing what they get at camp home. I'd been thinking about my message for a few weeks and had landed on an illustration about souvenirs and the story of Saul's conversion. I made a few tweaks around 4pm and was ready to go.

At high school camp the evening worship experience starts at 9pm. If that is your bedtime camp will mess you up, believe me. I'm a late night gal, so speaking at 9:30 doesn't phase me too much. As I stood in the back for the run through, I spoke with a couple of the trainers and pastors and learned a little about the kids in attendance. I began to feel this nudge that perhaps God was going to change my message. This is a nudge I have felt before, but it never fails to make my stomach drop a little. By the time the kids were into the second worship song, I knew my planned and practiced message had been tabled. God whispered some new scripture in my ear, and I took a deep breath as I quickly pulled them up on my iPhone and copied them into a note.

I had one more song to pray and talk to God about where He was taking me now and then my name was being called. I will tell you that this does not happen all the time. I will also tell you that it is the most disarming way to step in front of a group as a speaker. However, there is also a peace that comes over me in these moments. I am never more aware that the words are not mine, but God's. I am completely submitted to Him in these moments. I have to be or else I would hyperventilate myself into a panic attack.

I want to carry this feeling over to the other areas of my life where I struggle to submit: in my work, my marriage, my friendships. Surrender is such a key aspect of being a Christian, yet it can be one of the hardest things to do. If I can just remember that each day is just like last night. I may have plans, but God's plans trump mine, and He is ready to put His plans into play over mine at any moment.

Summer Camp!

Headed to Allaso Ranch to speak to the high school students of Fellowship Church. No matter how wisely I pack, I still have this giant bag for one night because I have to pack bedding. Makes me wonder why I took out the extra t-shirt now. Like that helped.

Not Just Another Day on the Calendar

Dates and memory have a special connection in our minds. I'm not talking about the fruit or an evening out with your significant other, but dates on a calendar.  We mark the passing of various events in our life on the calendars of our minds, and give specific dates significance.  Families celebrate birthdays and anniversaries each year on a particular date.  Most nations have particular dates that are considered holidays, nationally acknowledged with parades and fireworks and flags flying high. We mark dates on our calendars with big red circles when certain things we are looking forward to will happen: graduations, big trips, new jobs, etc.  Recovering addicts  have a date of sobriety that marks a milestone each time it circles around, celebrating another sober year.  I think there is great value in celebrating the accomplishments and joyous occasions of your life year after year.  

I also know, that some dates on the calendar mark times of grief, loss, and sadness.  Those dates come around each year brining back the pain and hurt of times gone by. Instead of the bright red circle, they often sit blank on our physical calendars, but on the calendar of our hearts they are marked with a giant X as we countdown to a difficult day.  I'm a person who remembers the significant dates, both good and bad.  I can tell you the date I graduated from high school and the date my college boyfriend dumped me.  I've always had a good memory for dates, and while that has been great for the celebrations, at different times in my life it has been crippling when I've marked the painful dates of my life.  Recently, I found myself facing a date that I had been dreading for months...the "due date" for the child that I miscarried at the end of last year.  It was as though an hourglass had been turned over in my mind and I was watching the sand fall down on me, ready to bury me anew in the grief and pain of the loss of that baby.  I found myself praying for God to give me the strength to get through that day, knowing I'd likely be buried under blankets and tears.

As He has done several times in my life, God sent words through my mother in answer to my prayer.  She and I were talking just a few weeks ago about this very subject and she said something that had never occurred to me.  It is the enemy that wants us to give those dates a place of significance and use it each year to drag us down, not God.  God wants us to mark the times when He has triumphed in our lives, and we have overcome because of His strength.  While we may not be able to completely forget the date, we can choose how that date impacts us and how we want to live on that day.  Her words made me think of the feast days that God commanded the Israelites to celebrate each year.   Those days marked times of victory, deliverance, and provision.   The dates when God has done these same things in my life, are the days that He wants to be most significant in my life. 

This realization, helped me to make a plan for the "due date".  I enlisted the help of my husband and together we planned a day of fun and time together.  Rather than spend the day in the house wrapped in a blanket, playing sad music, and weeping (that would have been me, not Maurice), we got up and made a special breakfast, saw a matinee movie, played in the mall, and then spent the evening with some close friends celebrating the 4th of July.  We were determined to make it a good day.  Now, certainly there were moments throughout that day where I thought of our loss and felt sadness, but they were moments, not hours.  Instead of the day of sorrow I'd been anticipating, I experienced a day of joy.  Now, where have I heard that before...?

To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the LORD has planted for his own glory. 

Isaiah 61:3

I wanted to share this with you because I know that many of you have a date that you are dreading, or that you dread every year.  A date that holds memories of pain and loss and grief.  It may be the date you lost a parent, or the date the love of your life walked out, or your own loss of a child.  I don't know what that date is in your life, but I know from what I have just experienced that God wants to and is ready to make that a different day for you the next time it comes around on the calendar.  He wants to give you the praise instead of despair on that day. Knowing that it is what God wants for you, I want to encourage you to allow Him to do the work in your life.  Plan a day of joy instead of preparing for a day of sorrow.  Reach out to someone who loves you and have them help you make that a different day.  Don't burrow into your own cocoon of loneliness and grief.  Trust that God will hear your desire for a better day on that date and give it to you, because He delights in you.  

City Girl Goes to the Country

I'm a city girl.  I know this. I love concrete and sirens and hearing my neighbors through the wall.  I can find my way around the downtown area with no problem, and don't really understand why it is hard for others sometimes.  So driving to see my friend Regina at her parent's house in a small town outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma would be the opposite of my normal environment.  The GPS was actually able to get me all the way to their street.  Something I was told was special, as many people's GPS can only get them as far as the highway exit.  However, it only got me to the street and not the house, so my final instructions came from Regina via text.  You can read them in the image below.  Feel free to laugh. I definitely did. 

For the record, they were great instructions. I did find my way.  We'll see if I find my way out!

What Mac & Cheese Taught Me About God

I have had a lifelong, love relationship with macaroni & cheese.  I can't claim to remember my first bite, but I'm sure if footage of that moment existed, there would have been a look of bliss on a toddler's face.  I grew up on my mom's mac & cheese.  She makes it from scratch in the 9x12 CorningWare/Pyrex dish baked in the oven.  It is heavenly.  When I was about five or six we spent some of our summer days at a neighbor's house playing with her kids while my mom worked.  She made her mac & cheese from this mysterious blue box from a magical land called Kraft.  The noodles were smaller and the cheese was more of a sauce than, actual melted cheese, yet I loved it.  In fact, there are rumors that I went home and asked if we could have this mac & cheese from Kraft instead of the homemade kind.  I can neither confirm nor deny these rumors, but if you ask my mother she likely will tell you. What I can tell you, is that we never did have it at home.  It wasn't until my college years that I went back to the old faithful blue box of Kraft.  I remember on one particular occasion, being broke and buying the store brand.  FAIL.  That only happened once.  Brand loyalty was serious when it came to the sacred mac & cheese, so I stuck to what I knew was best. Once I hit my thirties, it seemed only right to start being a "grown-up" and  making my mom's recipe.  My inclination for processed foods still had me occasionally indulging in the Kraft powder-butter-milk combo, but only for late night snacks and quick lunches.  My friend Regina makes a mean mac & cheese that I fell for in recent years, and once I got the recipe and learned it included the use of Velveeta, I understood why it was so good to me albeit not so good for me.  When, I got married and began making it for my husband and myself, I found myself going back and forth between mom's recipe and Regina's, sometimes using a hybrid of both.   

However, recently I've been eating a bit differently and trying to avoid anything processed, excessive use of dairy, and too much gluten to name a few things.  That made mac & cheese a difficult thing to indulge in since in both of my recipe options it included dairy or gluten or processed stuff if not all three. That means I've had to go without one of my favs for several weeks.  This week, I found myself determined to come up with the best possible option that I could and was delighted to find a vegan/gluten-free recipe for mac & cheese.  I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but when all was said and done, I had a pretty delicious bowl of vegan cheese substitute and gluten-free noodles.  It may sound wrong, but it tasted right. I ate every bite in my bowl and had a satisfied smile on my face when I was done. 

And that is when it hit me.  Mac & Cheese was a great metaphor for the desires of my heart.  I have always desired a few specific things for my life.  As a child, my parents made sure that I got the best foundation for those things in the best possible ways, just like mom's homemade mac & cheese.  She made it from scratch with real ingredients so that I could have the best.  I didn't know that the cheese or milk in it was better for me than what came in the processed Kraft box, I just knew it was good.  The choices my parents guided me to make, the things they exposed me to, and the desires they encouraged were things that were better for me and for my spiritual and mental health.  In my college years, just as I went for the processed, easier version of what mom had served in the bowl, I went for the slick, easier version of the desires of my heart.  I allowed convenience to sway how I went after my desires.  At the core, I still wanted the some of the same, good things, I just thought I'd found an easier way to get them.  As I matured, I recognized the value of the homemade dish my mom used to serve and started to make it for myself.  In that same way, I recognized the value of the faith my parents had lived out and began to seek it out for myself, making my own choices to pursue the right things in the right ways.  At times along the way, I tried to merge my own way to acquire my desires for myself with God's way, just as I tried to throw a little Velveeta into mom's classic recipe.  And now, I've come to a place in life where I have to give up my love of junk food and all things processed and prioritize a  greater good in my life.  So, I have surrendered.  I have surrendered my preferences, for the better choices.  I have surrendered my will, my timetable, and my way, for God's will, God's timing, and God's way,...

...and in surrendering, I have found that God will still allow me to experience satisfaction.  He still gives me joy.  He still wants me to have pleasure and happiness in this life.  It may not be playing out exactly as I want it to play out, but the knowledge that things are happening according to His will brings me great comfort.  It adds patience to an impatient heart.  It allows for smiles to outnumber tears.  And it brings me peace, supernatural, unexplainable, peace. A peace I had read about in Scripture many times, but never truly experienced until now, as I live with a hope deferred. 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

This is not the post I thought I would be writing this week.  If you had asked me just a week ago, as I continue to pray for a desire of my heart that may not be God's will for my life, I would have said no.  Somehow, in the midst of the prayers, reading the Psalms (where I have stayed focused in this season) and God's perfect timing, I have landed here.  I am content as I eat my new mac & cheese, thank God for what He has already done, and trust Him with my future. 

How I Do Sick

The dreaded summer cold has taken over my body.  It seems impossible, since I'm currently taking more vitamins and eating healthier than I ever have in my life, but it is true. A summer cold calls for a slight alteration to my normal "sick routine".  Were this my typical January cold, I'd have the space heater out or the fire lit if we actually remembered to have firewood.  I would be strategically tucked under my red Cozy Cuffs blanket (a fancy brand Snuggie) while wearing  thick socks with my flannel pjs;  however, it is June and the temp is in the 90s, so I had to substitute the flannel pjs for an extra large, super old t-shirt and cotton sleep shorts.  The fire/heater has been replaced with a non-stop ceiling fan.  My big red blanket is in storage where it belongs so I'm snuggled under a thin chenille throw.  I have my tea, but I'm letting it cool down to lukewarm before I drink it, and I'm getting most of my fluids from water with fresh mint.  Of course, my trusty box(es) of Kleenex are good for all seasons (and, yes, I did mean the name brand Kleenex, like Beyonce, it is irreplaceable).  The MacBook and the muted iPhone are close at all times so I can stay tuned into the outside world via Facebook and Twitter, play games, and read everything from the Bible to recipes to books to blogs!  Throw in a couple of old movies I've saved on the TIVO (I recommend recording your favorite classic films for just such an occasion), and I'm ready to spend most of the day sound asleep in a Nyquil induced coma surrounded by a bunch of stuff I will barely look at.  I promise to post something more meaningful later this week once I stop sneezing and the Nyquil wears off!

5 Musts When My Mom Visits

I've lived in Dallas for the last ten years, and every year I take a couple of days off and  my mom comes to town for a fun visit.  We get to catch up, have girl time, and do something fun.  I'm blessed to have such an amazing relationship with my mom, and I really love getting to spend time with her! There are some "musts" for me when my mom visits that I thought I'd share with you all today!

• Pamper Mom: When my mom comes, I love to give her the royal treatment.  The way I see it, she has taken amazing care of us without giving it a second thought, so when she is here, I get to flip the script.  She doesn't cook, wash a dish, or anything.  I like her to wake up to her cup of coffee and let her lounge as I cook and clean up for us.  It really is a small thing to get to do for a woman that spent years cooking for and cleaning up behind me!

• Lunch at a New Place: I try to take mom out for a delicious lunch at a place we've never been before.  This visit, I took her to Two Sisters for a delicious, eclectic lunch! Technically, she's tasted their food before as they catered my wedding, but their cafe was a new experience for her!

• Go Somewhere Fun: I try to take mom to something fun when she comes. Now, we have been known to spend the whole visit talking and never make it to our fun destination, but this visit we did manage to stop talking long enough to get in the car and head over to the Dallas World Aquarium.  We had a great time seeing all the fish, birds, and animals from sharks to penguins to jaguars!  It didn't hurt that the place is pretty much all indoors so we got to enjoy it all in the A/C on a 104 degree day!

• Talk, Talk, and More Talk: Whatever else we may do on a visit, our main goal is to talk! A few days before my mom comes, we will text each other reminders of things we want to tell or ask each other once we're together.  We have even sometimes made lists of topics so we don't forget anything.   Just to be clear we don't gossip. My mom does not gossip at all, and I'm a recovering gossip, so our stories are things that have happened in our lives, people we've run into, and lots of self-deprecating tales that are just funny.  I love talking to my mom and sharing things with her.  After all these years, I still get to learn new things about her, and I get to benefit from her wisdom and experience.  

• Prayer: Before my mom hits the road again, she always prays for me. There is no greater gift from my mother than to have her pray for me.  Her relationship with Christ has been a model for me my entire life (even when I wasn't paying attention), so her prayers for me are extra special.

I have always known I have a great mom, but the more women I talk to, the more I realize our relationship is special and not necessarily common, so I feel extra blessed!