768 - HE lets me be real even when some won't!

Oh Father - there is so much power in confession and so much redemption in Your Word. Once again you have worked a wonder in my heart and thru your word encouraged me in such a way that I am only let to say - MIRACLE!! it is incredible!!

God only you allow me to be real! I mean so often I do have friends that take me just as I am (Courtney, Melissa G, Val, Patricia, TJ, etc!!), but even yesterday in my prayer to You about my struggles I got an email from a well meaning person "encouraging" me to not be so real on the blog as it might cause another to stumble or walk away from the faith. I thought "walk away from the faith" was a bit strong!!!!!!!!

Lord, I have to be true to my walk with you and if i struggle, which i do, i cannot hide it. Satan wants me to hide it and act like I am always 100% happy, pleased, content, and in His perfect will! I am not!!!!!!! Lord, i am so thankful that you know my heart!! U know me better than I know me and for that i am so thankful!!

This morning you led me to Ps. 67 in such a way as to implore me to keep pressing forward and sharing in every way - even thru the bad - how wonderful and redemptive You are!!! I will Lord!! "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be know on earth, your salvation among all nations." "May the nations be glad and sing for joy!"

Oh Father - i thank you!! i still feel rushed in life. I still feel like my kids are getting the brunt end of me right now. I still feel like a chicken with its head cut off - oh BUT!!!!!! i feel your grace and mercy oozing over me!! I feel your love and hugs squeezing me tightly!! That is only you!!! Thank you for allowing me to be real!! Truly I love you Lord!!! Off to work and then on to Carbondale, Il. for a tennis meeting!!

I love you!!

709 - I will Spare you!!

Good morning Lord Jesus!!  I am not sure who won the game last night, but I hope whomever was playing did a good job and played their best.  I was too busy pulling Jack Bauer out of his pain and sickness from being exposed to the WMD.  I think he is doing well and we will see him next Monday - ha ha!  

I am sitting here in my housecoat and wet hair so I will spare all of you the video today.  That just might be more than you could handle.  I studied more of Esther today and was once again impressed by our lady Queen Vashti.  The central theme of today was how hard it is live in another woman's shadow.  I am sure all of us know that to be true at least one time if not more times in our lives.  It all boils down, I believe, to that comparison game.  Been there?  Yep, me too!

Whatever package you put it in, insecurity is such a terrible and exhausting way to be.  While I seem to be pretty sure of myself on the outside, and i truly am a pretty confident person by God's grace, I too can let the comparison game get the best of me leaving me totally defeated and deflated!  Why is it you can be walking down the street just minding your own business and see a person pass you by just a tad thinner and of course with cuter hair.  Before you know it, I can go into a tailspin in one direction or another.  I either embrace her beauty and want to ask her where she gets her haircut and her secret to staying thin or I want to hate her and make up things in my mind of her reasons for masking her hurts with all these beauties.  Ever done that or been there?   

Living in the shadow of another woman, even one that you don't even know, can be terminal.   I don't think the answer is really embracing who you are or trying to real as steel to the world, I think the answer is found in Jesus!  Possibly not even knowing so much who we are in Him, but just WHO HE IS!!!  Jesus is the answer and there is no other way!!  I promise, but sometimes i have hard time believing or at least accepting!!!  Comparison game can get any ounce of God's goodness in me and hide it under the feet of defeat!  

Oh Lord - I just want to know you in your power and grace more fully.  I want to know you and the mercy that is new for me each morning!  Oh Lord, I want to hide behind you and in you!  Jesus thank you for taking the time with me each and every second of the day to minister to my mind, soul, and body!!  You are the medicine for any problem, issue, or trial i come across.  I don't need to embrace me, I need to embrace you!!  Teach me Father, show me, and help me walk in it!!  I love you Lord.!!

One of our speakers with STMM, Natalie Witcher, is speaking today at the A Woman Inspired online conference.  I hope you will go by and say hello to her!!  She is a fabulous woman of the Word!!  We are so honored to have her part of the ministry!!  Ginger Moore will be speaking as well on Thursday.  I speak on Wednesday at 10am, I believe!!  Need to check that!  

Have an awesome day.  Hope to hear from you!  

647 - Tell Him All

I just realized this morning that you can not - or I can not - upload anything to Youtube over 10 minutes...  Maybe it is my computer or something.  But I don't need to have anything longer than that anyway.  So to say all that I wanted you to know that the beginning and very end is chopped off a little bit...  It was so early this morning when I taped this that it took me a while to get going anyway.  So you may not notice much is missing anyway...  Ok - Here is Wednesday in the Word!!