Keep Your Eyes Wide Open

Day 228 Photo Inspirations -- Keep Your Eyes Wide Open!!
#TBT -- These photos of my grandson, Brennan, were taken at a Harley Davidson dealership 8 years ago.  The snakes (eew) were there in honor of Harley's snakeskin leather show.  It was a day out for Papa and Brennan.  Obviously our little guy had NO FEAR!!

A couple of days ago, I posted about a snake that was in our neighborhood which inspired me to talk about how easily we can be taken off course by the lies and deceptions of the enemy.  I loved the comments that my walking buddies added to that post:

Nancy:  Keeping our eyes wide open!  And on the baby snake, we were just talking last night on our walk with the dogs - it could have come in with a load of rocks being brought into the build sites.  We never know where or why sometimes -- just gotta keep our eyes open.

Sharon:  Satan is a deceiver and it's our responsibility to keep our eyes "wide open", dress ourselves in "the Full Armor of God", and HE is our rear Guard.  Stepping on that snake's head is an earthly representation of what's being done in the spirit on the morning prayer walks. Go Girls!

I love that.  It reminds me when I was a young girl and going to the outhouse at my big sis' house in West Virginia.  Across the path was a long snake that I stepped over.  I didn't see it, but my big Sis did.  Her eyes were WIDE OPEN! Then there's the time when a snake was all coiled up in our kitchen at Lake Keystone.  My husband took a baseball bat to it (my hero -- I'll spare you the details of how that turned out, but my husband won!)  My neighbor, lacking the right words to console me, asked "Do you suppose it had a mate?" -- which meant we scoured every inch of the house before we could sleep that night.  Our eyes were WIDE OPEN!

The point of my post today is "Keep our eyes wide open!"  1 Peter 5:8 says "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion (and for this post -- snake), walks (slithers) about, seeking whom he may devour".  It's just who our enemy is -- he wants to slither into our lives and create fear, confusion in our minds, chaos in our family, deception in relationships, and it's up to us to be "on guard, vigilant, and aware of him sneeking into our lives."     EYES WIDE OPEN to the enemy's tactics and EYES WIDE OPEN to God's love, protection, tender mercies, and promises. Yes, my eyes are wide open.  How about yours?

Staying at the Harley Hotel

Day 126 of Photo Inspirations -- Staying at the Harley Hotel
I'm in Edmond, OK with my Texas Family at Oklahoma Christian University, attending and judging the Speech and Debate Competition because my grandson, Payton, qualified for the Regionals.  So awesome to be close enough to make these trips and be a part of their lives as often as I can.

But, tonight I'm in a 5-Star Harley Hotel -- my Edmond, OK Family, the Lawrences --  Mark David Lawrence​, Donna Lawrence​, Caleb & Cassidy, as you can see by these photos.  They live, breathe, think, speak and ride their Harley.  And, they are living their dreams.  I took just a few photos here of some of their memorabilia, but this 2nd one was especially touching.  Donna created it from watch faces, watch parts, and relics Mark inherited from my sweet husband's old bucket of wire, screws, nuts and bolts.

Caleb is blessing me as he is orchestrating a beautiful melodic, jazz song on his synthesizer and piano as I type this.  I'm treasuring these times.  He's a "chip off his Uncle Ron's block".  What he's doing now -- creating and embracing the moment is what Uncle Ron did -- with musical journeys and crossroads of faith.

I've learned that faith is choosing and believing God’s dream for our life.  God gave us the ability to dream, to create, to imagine. Dreaming is an act of faith. Everything we see on this planet started as a dream.  Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now glory be to God, by His mighty power at work within us, is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of — infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.”

Mark never let what seemed to be impossible get in the way of his dream to own a Harley.  Caleb has inbred giftings -- he's had very few music lessons, but the giftings, coupled with the dreams are bringing forth musical compositions that only God knows where those giftings will lead him.  

Why don't we turn what seems to be impossible situtations into opportunities for getting out of the boat and walking on water?  If we pray more, believe more, trust more, experience more, learn more, and grow more -- we just might see more dreams become reality -- I'm staying in the dreams-come-true right now at the Lawrence's -- it's a sweet resting place!

I'd Rather Be Remembered for Standing Out Than Forgotten for Blending In

Yesterday morning I saw a Harley Davidson billboard that said, "Why fit in when you can stand out?" -- of course meaning that we would stand out if we drove a Harley. Indeed, that would definitely cause me to STAND-OUT! LOL! And that prompted me to post about the great STAND message I heard Sunday by Pastor Craig Groeschel. We all have that option of just blending in with the crowd and listen to, talk about, act like and participate in the things that the "crowd" does. When we're pushed to the limits in our faith, our values, and our beliefs, do we have the courage to take a STAND? If we're STAND-OUTERS, we can't live a life of passivity. We have to make life decisions based on our determination to never compromise our values, and our relationship with God. I loved this quote, "I'd rather be remembered for standing out than forgotten for blending in."

I want to be a difference maker that rises above the noise. I want to STAND OUT when others complain -- I want to steer them to their blessings. When others worry, I'll STAND OUT by giving my worries and cares to God. When others laugh at an off-colored joke, I'm going to STAND OUT by not laughing or walking away. I will FORGIVE in spite of who wronged me or spoke evil against me. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the Bible stood out in total abandonment to their God -- not compromising their belief and trust in Him. I want to be remembered for STANDING OUT, too!!! How about you?