He is GOOD!

>> Saturday, April 30, 2011

Happy Weekend! 









For the Lord God is a sun and a shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does He withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
(Psalm 84:11, ESV)

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Blessed!

>> Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Like fresh flowers dropping from the sky or the sound of an innocent lullaby; may this fall fresh upon your spirit today!


BLESSED are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

BLESSED are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
BLESSED are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
BLESSED are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
BLESSED are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
BLESSED are the pure in heart, for the shall see God.
BLESSED are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
BLESSED are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

No circumstance is above His ability to see you through it. 

No situation is beyond His ability to carry you to Him.

REJOICE and be GLAD today, for your reward is GREAT in heaven!

And be BLESSED!

(Matthew 5:3-10, ESV)

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>> Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Guess who knows the plans for your life?


Your Creator!

"A Soul's Stirring" is visiting Hope for Women Magazine today... Stop on by!



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Are you not much more valuable than they?

>> Monday, April 25, 2011


"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink; or about your body, 
what you will wear....Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or 
reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 
Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:25-26

From day to day we often "worry" of things that are beyond our command; only to close our eyes with no more control than when we started our day. We are valuable to Him, do not worry about your life!
Do not worry about what they will be when they grow up. He Knows!


Do not worry about what they will eat. He will provide!





Do not worry about their safety. His hand will guide them!


Do not worry about how they will survive in this mean world. He will protect them!


Do not worry about who will guide them. He will!

"The Story of the Easter Robin"

 Our reminder that God loves us more than we could love ourselves or anyone else comes through the Cross. Christ sent His son to die for us so that we could cast ALL our cares upon Him. 

This Easter my children grew more intimate in their knowledge of God's abundant LOVE for them. I, the mom, grew deeper in my understanding that He cares more for them than I do and at ALL times I must allow our Creator tend to the needs of their hearts! 

All the time, in every situation, let your Father tend to the needs of your hearts. 

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YES!

>> Sunday, April 24, 2011


YES! In every aspect of this word, I hope MANY will look unto heaven and say Yes to Jesus today! He said YES to the cross so that Freely we could receive Him; All we need to do is say, "Yes!"

"For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (John 3:17, NIV)





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Why?

>> Friday, April 22, 2011

Why do I celebrate Easter? NOT for chocolate bunnies, colored wicker baskets, vinegar dyed eggs, pastel dresses, big hats and corsages and skinny white bunny rabbits awaiting long-line photo opportunities?

Easter, my most endeared season of life, holds a heavy weight for me. When I ponder the journey from the cradle to the grave my heart cannot contain the gratitude. Sometimes my emotions fill with an overwhelming gravity for the cross... nails driven into hands and feet, violent whipping across precious flesh, defiled spit and slaps thrusting his face, venomous words being thrust upon ears and strike after strike after STRIKE! What the Jews did to Jesus, God intended for our good! I'm OVERWHELMED by such love. To die a gruesome, brutal death for a broken soul like mine leaves a gigantic longing to live surrendered to Him. He deserves my everything while I deserve what I didn't get; a horrible hell.

Why do I celebrate Easter? For sincere gratitude for a lavished love, a secured hope in an overtaken sinful world, love that never leaves, immeasurable strength for my journey that grows weary, delight when the world leaves me stale, to instill stability within the hearts of those I will leave behind, to set an example for little feet to follow, to fulfill my privilege as a believer; to tell EVERYONE I meet what He did for me and that they too can be forever changed by Him. EVERY sacrifice is worth it... because Jesus is WORTH IT!

I am NOT my own. This life I live is a reflection of my Savior; He rescued me from darkness and is carrying me through and into His purposeful light.

I am FOREVER changed. I am FOREVER grateful. I am FOREVER His.

I pray you are FOREVER changed by what He did for you and me... He is sitting at the right hand of our Father interceding on our behalf. He intended man's evil for OUR GOOD. Embrace His good!

"I have been crucified with Christ it is I who no longer live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galations 2:20, ESV) 



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With or Without Him?

>> Tuesday, April 19, 2011


Recently I came across this book and from the beginning, Rebecca (the amazing author), reaches in and grabs you! Yes, there are moments you want her to let go because your heightened emotions cannot contain the sheer anger within! And just as you allow your rage to escalate you find your heart wanting her to not let go; for this divine life story, Rebecca's life story of FORGIVENESS, gripped me like the elation of an extreme roller-coaster ride! Forgiveness is the key to a soul's freedom; freedom from the strangling grip of bitterness, anger, rage, resentment, a calloused- heart, depression, self-loathing, self-absorption, negativity and the dead end road of a deep, dark pit! 

Oh, to not give away the very heart of this book in my description is taking everything within me. To see God's divine hand in this family's pain journey brings HOPE to the tragedies of life. When I closed the very last page of this book I immediately uttered the words, "WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!" Aren't they? His word is truth and He simply whispers to us that without Him we can do NOTHING but with Him, ALL things are possible! 

There are too many death-grips of this life that are rapidly attempting to push us further under and UN-FORGIVENESS is berrying hopes and dreams by the droves! Some are even sleeping with the enemy of un-forgiveness only to wake up clothing themselves with it too! STOP IT! Stop trying to move forward without forgiving your past and those who have negatively effected it!

From the words of Rebecca, "Forgiveness is the language of heaven." It frees the soul to rest in the security of Christ and walk forward not clinging to the past but being empowered by it. It releases the grip of  bondage and secures emotional health for future generations. Forgiveness is a CHOICE not a FEELING; often it takes daily recognition of where we came from to get to where were going. 

CHOOSE TO FORGIVE! 

Be tender towards the things of the Lord... He will restore you! 

Speak the language of heaven!

"See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." (Hebrews 12:5, NIV)

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Let Her Rise...

>> Monday, April 18, 2011

 ...who commands the sun to rise... (Job 9:7, ESV)


 From the Jamaican shores, we advanced from our sleep to watch Him command the sun to rise! The wind was crisp, the birds were communicating in song and the dusk over the horizon prepared the way for His glory to reveal itself! It was breathtaking... the clouds peeled back and the bright orange beams peeked over the fluffy mountain tops. His majesty and wonder captivated the essence of our sight and the work of His creative hand commanded our day! 


In that moment, where my eyes captured His vision, a little piece of heaven stood before us. Only God could love us enough to give us a glimpse; a shining space of time to be reminded of how great He is! This space where His voice commands the rising of the sun, the crash of the ocean waves, the creation of a new life, the comfort through life's raging seas; where valleys are for clinging and mountain tops are for breathing. And somewhere in between the rise of a new day and the shift of the setting sun we're not left searching for Him. 








Like a captivating sunrise or a calm before the storm; He commands us to rise. To embark upon our day in awe of who He is; allowing every creative aspect of who we are to be orchestrated in Him! 


He is our creator.


He commands our way.


He is faithful.


He says, " Let her rise."











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Transfer Me....

>> Friday, April 8, 2011


Transfer my thoughts to a little piece of heaven; where my mind can pause, my body can relax and my soul can be refreshed!  For it is good to rest and allow refreshment to settle in. Along the walk of life we encounter many tiresome days and many tasks vying for our precious time BUT God knew we would need rest. He knew the walk would sometimes speed to a dangerous pace; a pace that only screeching halts could slow our stride.
I adore my walk! It is demanding at times, tedious with a many a schedule, eventful with contributing personalities, prosperous for the lost and wandering that we are blessed to reach out to, strengthening to those we are called to equip, divine for the love we share and FULL in so many capacities of the word! But I LOVE my walk and I am thankful for reprieve!

So, I will transfer my walk to a long, sandy beach. It overlooks the crystal blue waters and the boisterous sound of crashing waves will awake my sleeping soul. I will hold hands, dream talk, beach walk, sunbathe,  whisper sweet nothings and soak up my transfer time with my soul mate. This abundant life, promised by my King, has been filled with many years of BLISS to this wonderful, God-loving man! I am grateful for our walk together and the celebration for the strides ahead!

Please excuse my absence from the humble privilege of pouring His encouragement upon you; as I am only doing what He requires of me (and you)... RESTING :)

I hope you will plan to do so yourself... 

"By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work." (Genesis 2:2, NIV)

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God's Matchless Beauty Through the Eyes of Special Olympians!

>> Thursday, April 7, 2011

"Let me win; and if I cannot win, let me be BRAVE in my attempt!"

Sometimes in the fullness of LIFE we must STOP... surrender the control of the trap of schedules and allow God's beautiful design to take us in! This happened for my family today; the busyness of our Wednesday STOPPED and we allowed God to reveal Himself through this day! Yes, we are QUICKLY passing through this blessed life and this was just a STOP...


                        " SPECIAL OLYMPICS"
                               2011




















Thank you God for your favor upon this STOP! NOTHING compares to your matchless beauty! 
Today, was FILLED with your MATCHLESS BEAUTY!



"I remain confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!" 
(Psalm 27:13, NIV)

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Mourning Moments... { Of Motherhood }

>> Wednesday, April 6, 2011



I heard someone say, that birthing children and opening yourself to the world of motherhood, contains a bounty of joy and heartache all at once. Joy and pain, they hold hands during motherhood. Shortly after your child's first cry bounces off your ear, you find yourself rolling aimlessly on the floor prying the two apart! For a mother FIGHTS for her children's happiness and BEGS to absorb their pain. All too often we wear our hearts outside our chest and with each pierce to their soul we bleed compassion for them.  Too engrossed in our band-aid moment to realize that these are mourning moments. Moments from God where He reminds us that sometimes He stops the pierce of their soul and others He stops the bleeding. Nothing catches God by surprise and causes Him to second guess these moments. For every season He created a purpose and quite carefully He tucked mourning moments into His development of motherhood. 

To mourn for those we birthed, is God opening the window to who He is. A chance to be compelled by His compassion and to speak that He never fails us. It is He that equips us for motherhood. Children, they're born unto us, to complete His story. They supplement life with this pair; JOY and PAIN. My mourning moments follow: the scrape of a knee, an unkind word spoken by a "friend", when being different isn't accepted and their cherished possessions don't match other's presumptions, Christ living in them is misunderstood and innocence is stolen, unmet expectations that disappoint and somehow the reality of what WILL NOT come sets in. When the Joy of who they are, grabs hold of the PAIN of what they experience, and we dance... we step back and forth in sync to the rhythm of this life and we dance.

Joy and pain, that lead to my mourning moments, this is the place where the music fades and I find God. He is waiting; arms open in a gigantic spread and His voice softly beckoning me to come. Come unto my comfort and fall into my embrace, for this is where you belong. And we dance... we dance to the melody of His peace and the wrap of His embrace keeps our rhythm. He brushes away my tears  and names each one; for nothing is meager to His significance. His comfort calms my storms and the winds and waves of my mourning moments obey Him. They obey His compelling call; to be still in my grasp, for this moment will pass. When the music of our dance fades and your mourning is nigh, you my child, will drift beautifully into your new moment... another God moment of motherhood!


"Be still and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:10 ESV)

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Sunday Take Away!!!!

>> Monday, April 4, 2011


"We Would Rather 
        WIN The Fight
            Than WIN The War!!!"


Today was one of those days... Where the examples in God's story are correctly described as ordinary people He uses to do His EXTRAORDINARY! In Acts 15 Paul and Barnabas experienced difficult moments in their relationship. At times, they were in unity and others they were in total opposition. Sound familiar?

Relationships, if they're not healthy, are a touchy subject! Sometimes in our relationships we would rather win the FIGHT instead of winning the WAR! Agreeable solutions are not easily found when unresolved tension already exists! Whether it's your marriage, children, parents, siblings, family, friends, co-workers or community; each relationship needs to thrive to survive!

WE MUST:
1. Talk about our issues
2. Allow for differences of opinions
3. Be QUICK to forgive (you are the one who SUFFERS MOST when you hold onto a grudge!)

HURTING PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE!


*Challenge: Matthew 5:23-24 "So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and GO. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift!"


Seek reconciliation TODAY! STOP and GO... we cannot move forward in Christ until our relationships are reconciled. YOU ARE WORTH IT because HE IS!


















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This Road

>> Friday, April 1, 2011

ashley-galloway.artistwebsites.com


I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
~Robert Frost


... And so do I; I walk along this road while greeting my day, sure of where I came from and faithfully driven to where I am going. The lack of visibility haunts my view and tests my stride. It treats my bare feet with tremble and stirs the emotions of the wind. Can I make it? Can I touch the peak of the hill and not lose the point? Can I get up when I stumble along the rocks and embrace my Father's care over the open wounds? Will the crease of the clouds peer into the dark shadow of my despair and the sound of His scenery calm my anxious soul...


It's long and winding and steep and rough; this life, this existence we thrive in. It's choices baffle the simple mind and the pain tortures the elated spirit. What do we do with that haunting question? "Which Road, this way that I choose?" Who will be left to follow this ponderous road and what will become of the segments that fade into the gravel? When will my guard from the anguish find the straight path that leads to repair and where can I silence along the way so hope can advance? In the peace of His presence I find the resolve...


Someday amidst all that encircles me; my walk, my walk along this road will be foretold. The quiet of the birds chirp and the stillness of the branches wandering, they leave this road breathless. I will reach that peak; the curve, the bump, the prolonged-merciless climb will not withhold  the crown, my beauty from my ashes, my road less traveled...


Two roads diverged... and I, I took my road, the road less traveled... and that has made all the difference...



* A special thank you to my beautiful friend, Ashley Galloway, for custom painting this portrait for this writing. Please visit her at: http://ashley-galloway.artistwebsites.com/

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She Dreams... Because She Was Created To!




A recent twitter post was followed by a profound moment in my day of motherhood! I am deeply in-tune with my children; I HIGHLY ESTEEM my role in equipping them for life! I want to know them, what makes them ticklish, their favorite scents, whether they like mayo or mustard, if they are scared of the dark and if rainy days makes them blue, how high can they jump and what makes their heart soar. Do they prefer skipping instead of running, do they feel safe at home and do they know how much I love them...

Our afternoons are filled with long car rides and backseat homework time. Some days it is FUN and other days it is CHALLENGING.And while they're working, I'm THINKING... what can I discover about them that I don't know, so I can inspire them to grow? Without being intentional our days could easily pass us by with a quick good morning, followed by a breakfast on the go. Then a hurry up get your bath so we can swiftly say your prayers! For me that concept doesn't settle well and all too often I find myself confounded by my lacking. They are only with me for a short time and somewhere between teething and dating I REFUSE to let time pass me by! Oh friends, I will be deliberate about studying what makes my children tick... this mean, hurtful world is all up in their business and death will overtake me before I give up on them! I want to KNOW them! How can I inspire them to be ALL that our God created them to be if I don't know them. Like a tiny babies hand laying softly within yours; you study the smallness, the simplicity, the newness! Lord forgive me if I give up because diapers go away and adolescence and puberty set in! They NEED us and we NEED to know them!




My discovery about my Dreamer:


I am Gracie. I am the daughter of Chris and Tabitha.

I am smart and funny. I wonder sometimes if mermaids are real.
I hear trumpets. I see myself in L.A.
I want a basketball scholarship. I am smart and funny.

I pretend to be a teacher. I feel unbreakable.
I touch a flying horse. I worry my hand will fall off.
I cry when a family member dies. I am a teacher.

I know I am eight. I say I believe in myself.
I dream about meeting Taylor Swift. 
I try to make 100 shots in basketball.
I hope to get a convertible. I am eight.

(Written by my dreamer:Gracie Lewis)


"Let's get to KNOW who our children are so we can INSPIRE them to be who they were created to be"!



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