There’s a Whole Lotta Shaking Going On

Have you seen "The Chosen", a new series about the life of Jesus released during Holy Week? Oh my! It started out as a media project to raise the funding to create it, but as it turned out, it has become the largest crowdfunding project after 16,000 people invested over $10 million into it. The first season of eight episodes is available now online. I promise you, your eyes will be shifted from the brief explanations of Christ’s journeys in the Bible to expanded thought-provoking scenarios. The Chosen has an authenticity to the biblical narrative like nothing I’ve ever witnessed in faith-based media. The Bible's brief picture of Jesus’ first public miracle at the wedding of Cana is expanded to a beautiful story of what it might have really looked like then.

Director Dallas Jenkins told Fox News that now it’s been viewed by over 20 million people around the world — and that's when they knew it was a project of biblical proportions. Seriously, you MUST watch this first series. This SHIFT and this SUCCESS has happened during this pandemic. Just type: The Chosen Episode 1 in your address bar, and then, for the next seven episodes, type Episode 2, etc. The Director will give you a lot of supporting info, but you can fast-forward through that part.

My title for today’s blog is “There’s a Whole Lotta Shaking Going On”. This pandemic has certainly shaken things up in our world. You don’t need me to detail it – the changes are everywhere. It's easy to get discouraged and wonder why it happened. I believe the shaking isn’t to stop us but to shift us into a new way of thinking and living. In fact, with the right attitude it might be the trajectory for success that we've been hoping for. Like “The Chosen” project – we’ll shift into a greater awareness of creativity. God works all these shakings for our good -- IF we but believe in our DIVINE Shaker!

Let’s not go back to the same ways we used to do things. I think the reason God allowed the shaking is to shift us into something better. None of this has been a surprise to God. He’s the DIVINE Shaker-Upper. Maybe He shook things up so He could give you a better position with better benefits in a better environment. It looks like a setback, but really it's a setup.

God is still on the throne. The shaking going on isn’t to defeat us but to promote us. We might be on the brink of a miracle -- better than what we could have ever imagined. So, don’t listen to the voices that tell you your child will never get back on course or that you’re not going to get well or this virus is ruining you financially. On the contrary, let's SHAKE-UP the enemy by choosing to look at the exceeding abundance that is up ahead – that is if our Source is God! Ephesians 3:20 says: “Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us," It's time to POWER UP and kick our praise into high gear! We shall overcome!

God's Kaleidoscope of Colors

I haven’t seen one of those fun toys in a long time, but I saw one yesterday and I remembered the awe and wonder I had as a child peeking through the hole in the end and turning the cylinder to see the vivid colors and shapes change dramatically. Isn’t that like our lives with its vivid colors and changes that alter the way things look in our lives from one season to another?

Yesterday, Staci, Denise, Alexia and myself met up with dear friends that we hadn’t seen for well over 20 years. The kaleidoscope of our lives has changed a lot. Marnie, Pat and Denise were a part of Staci’s Bible Study group (before she was married) that met in our home weekly. Staci was teaching young people to live as fully devoted followers of Christ as she taught her Pledge for Purity to them. Pat was a “motorcycle gal” who gave her heart to the Lord at that Bible Study, and now lives in South Dakota on beautiful property where she enjoys her singleness and her relationship with God. Marnie Freeman who was Staci’s graphic artist for her Cinderella Ministries and did the graphics for her newsletters as well as the CDs she recorded and published. Marnie's life was transformed also at the Bible Study. She was also a part of our missions team that went to South Africa to minister there. We talked about how she came out of her comfort zone as she prayed with so many people on that trip. Sne married Kevin, and have two beautiful daughters and are very active in politics. Marnie, an award-winning Artist of Liberty, recently accepted a public commission to paint a picture that will be presented to President Trump and Vice President Pence.

Then there are the changes in our own lives -- my husband and I who opened our home to those young people in those early Bible Study days and Staci, marrying Larry who was one of the attendees of that Bible Study. We have encountered so many kaleidoscope changes in our lives also. Ron, my husband, who went to heaven almost seven years ago, Staci and Larry going on to help establish churches, continue with our family’s hearts for missions, and being world changers through active ministry and business opportunities. We talked more about those kids from that Bible Study and how each and every one of them are serving God passionately in their families, homes, businesses and ministries.

I recognized the kaleidoscope colors: White – the Pledge for Purity that was the model for those young people to establish their own measure of rule for purity. The white dress Staci wore as she told the story of Cinderella over and over to young girls across the country of how there is only one pair of shoes that God made for each of them and the Prince of Peace came to help them understand there is nothing impossible as they trust in Him.

I thought about the color pink as I looked at Marnie’s two beautiful girls, and next to me, my Alexia, who God treasures and loves so much. I heard how God is using each of them in music, dance and public speeches.

I was thinking about the color silver as Marnie and Staci shared they’d been married 18 and 20 years respectively, each being blessed with such Godly, beautiful men.

I thought about the color gray as Pat has let her hair grow natural – she was proud to say she was turning 66 this year – she was in her 40s when Staci led the Bible Study. I thought about my silver hair that is hidden quite nicely with the color only my hairdresser knows for sure. LOL!

And I thought about here and now and how each of us has had to muster up a lot of courage over the years to press through tough times. That would be the color green that I’m noticing as the trees’ leaves are turning beautiful green everywhere.

And, lastly I thought about the vibrancy of red – fire engine red—blazing and bold because we’ve learned that trusting in God has been our life support, our anchor in the good and not so good times. Each gal that sat around this table yesterday, are women of character and honor, who are determined to be flexible to change, to be a cylinder of colors that reflect the ONE who looked at this world and, while He could have made it all black and white, said, “Nah, I can do better than that!” So he came up with the brilliant genius of making a world that daily gives us a kaleidoscope of beauty!

Welcome Fall! Welcome Change!

Fall is in the air. Sandwiched between blazing summer and chilly winter, fall is the "cooling off" season. As I was sitting on the patio of my friend's home in Tulsa last week, I couldn't help but notice the flocks of various species of birds flying south. They know winter isn't far behind.

As we traveled from Georgia through Mississippi and Louisiana and on to Texas in our motorcoach yesterday, it was obvious that the autumn season is upon us. We witnessed it by the gorgeous changing colors of leaves. What a gorgeous drive Interstate 20 is -- the tall pine trees, the evergreens and those trees that are experiencing this transformation. This is my favorite time of the year -- the leaves are changing colors, it's cooler outside, pumpkin spice coffee and candles are abundant in stores. Pumpkin patches are already showing up. I love fall decorations, but this year mine are in a Texas storage unit along with all of my belongings in this "wait" for a home that I know has my name on it and it welcomes me.

Decorating my home with the seasonal changes was always a big deal for me. Typically, I would decorate my home with harvest and fall decor' in early September! But what I love the most about this season, is the heart of thanksgiving that just naturally comes. And, great things happen when we offer thanksgiving. It not only brings honor to God when we speak of His goodness, but our faith just seems to rise to new heights because that attitude of gratitude opens shut doors and brings joy to our hearts and souls!

The changing colors of leaves, birds changing their habitats, and Donna changing hers.....it's all about accepting the inevitable in life. We will all experience changes. My sweet grandson "changed" his bachelor status to married status this last weekend. When my sweetheart went to heaven, my status changed from "married" to "widow". We should expect changes -- it's that part of life that we CAN'T change. Change really is inevitable, but why not begin to accept the changes with the grace that God gives us....and be thankful that He will carry us through those changes -- to an even better place of destiny and purpose?

It's October and we're into the last quarter of 2016. Maybe we should begin our change from dissatisfaction and opposition to change, to willingness to accept change. Thanksgiving Day occurs in November, but what if this month of October begins our NEW season of gratitude and thanksgving. I sure don't know what tomorrow and its changes will hold for me, but I know I'm sensing God camping out with me in this atmosphere of thanksgiving, and He sure does know. Once again, I hear Him saying "Trust Me. I've got this."