Good Sense…..Makes Good Sense

My 5:45 am early morning walks are getting darker and darker. I thought, because it’s summer, that it would stay bright and light at least until September, but not so. I walk that early before it gets so hot outside. But this morning, it was pitch dark so I knew I needed to take my flashlight to brighten my way. I’m glad I did.

I had the good sense to know I made the right decision when I came across this handle that I could easily have tripped over. I’m still in recovery from the face plant that I encountered a few weeks ago, simply because my foot hit a heave in the street. Then, not much further down the road, this rag was in the street and I could have gotten tangled up in it.

I started singing that old African American spiritual song: “All night, all day, angels watching over me, my Lord. All night, all day, angels watching over me!” Thank God for my guardian angels who I’m sure have double duty over me!

And, without that flashlight, I might have missed seeing this frog. I took the photo and bid him farewell and thought: “Could this be my Prince Charming and I should have kissed him?”

I don’t like to over-spiritualize everything in my life because God gave us “good sense”. But, still I believe that “good sense” really is the Holy Spirit Who Jesus said would be ours when He ascended to heaven. So, call it what you may, I still believe good sense, our conscience and Holy Spirit are one and the same when we acknowledge Him. The Bible teaches us that those who put their faith in Christ for salvation, receive the person of the Holy Spirit for indwelling. The Holy Spirit within us is the source of all knowledge and of all common sense.

Jesus said in John 14:15-17 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

Thanks, God, for the help AND the Helper! Thanks, God, for my angels! Thanks, God, for the good common sense you gave us. May we activate and appreciate all the gifts You have given us because You love us so much!

Bananas & a Bright Idea

A few days ago, my cousin, who lives just a few blocks from me, came over for technology help. I’d like to think that I was the tech-guru that she thought I was, but after an hour of trying to figure out the problem on her phone, I admitted I was at wits’ end. I was baffled and disappointed for both of us.

Earlier in the day, I was at Sam’s and purchased their 3-pounds-for-$1.28 bananas. After Mary Ellen left, I saw the bananas on my counter. I knew I wouldn't eat them all, so I decided to take some over to her and her husband. All of a sudden, I had a bright idea about that phone issue. With bananas in hand, I went to their home and put the idea to task. In just a few minutes, problem solved and all their electronic devices were in-sync. We shouted “Hallelujah” and "happy" danced!

The dance wasn’t for me. It was for He, Who gave me the insight. I knew I had tapped into my power source -- my divine Know-it-All. My ability couldn't get the job done, but the answer came from He Whose ability is unlimited. I believe the Holy Spirit, the One Who Jesus said would come to take His place because He had to go away (John 16:7) was where the answer for this dilemma came from. Holy Spirit has the answer to everything. Here's how I explain it. When the power company comes and hooks up electricity to our home, they don't come in and turn the lights on for us. That's our job. The power is there -- ready for us to flip the switches.

And in a similar way, we were hooked up to the Holy Spirit when we believed and received Christ. He imparted power to us to not only be able to tap into God's wisdom and understanding, but when we "turn on the switch", He gives us power to overcome the enemy’s tactics. He lives in us. But, we have to "turn on the lights" -- rather we acknowledge that He is our helper, our counselor, our comforter, and our peace. AND, He knows everything about everything, so we tap into His wisdom that is way beyond our grade level and experience.

May we power-up and be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to radically transform us from weak, fearful, anxious and timid believers to empowered people of love, hope, boldness, and courage, with the bonus of getting wisdom from our divine Know-it-All. We just have to flip the switch of faith in His "bright ideas"!

Comfort Blanket Helps Lead Loyola University to the Sweet Sixteen

Since I posted a few days ago about THE COMFORTER, I've had two more occasions to reinforce what I was saying. This was USA Today's headline on March 15th: “NCAA tournament 2018: Loyola-Chicago gets inspiration from 98-year-old nun”. Loyola was able to pull off the first upset of March Madness in dramatic fashion. The 98-year-old longtime nun and chaplain of Loyola University’s men’s basketball team sat at the corner of the basketball court as the jubilant players for Loyola-Chicago celebrated their 64-62 victory, upsetting Miami to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. If she wasn’t restricted to a wheelchair, Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt surely would have joined the fun. Sister Jean, the longtime team chaplain, could barely contain her own glee inside the American Airlines Center. “Thank God, thank God we did it,’’ she said at the end of the televised broadcast. “We just knew we would do this. Our team is so great and they don’t care who makes the points as long as we win the game."

The team's coach was quick to credit her: "Sister Jean is our team chaplain and she's our COMFORT BLANKET. She just has so much spirit. She's got an unbelievable energy level to her that I connect with." The coach added: "You know how much she's praying for you. You know how much she's doing for you and she means the world to this university and our team." I love that "Comfort Blanket" analogy. I'm quite certain Holy Spirit inside that beautiful woman is her "power source".

Since I posted a few days ago about THE COMFORTER, I've had two more occasions to reinforce what I was saying. This was USA Today's headline on March 15th: “NCAA tournament 2018: Loyola-Chicago gets inspiration from 98-year-old nun”. Loyola was able to pull off the first upset of March Madness in dramatic fashion. The 98-year-old longtime nun and chaplain of Loyola University’s men’s basketball team sat at the corner of the basketball court as the jubilant players for Loyola-Chicago celebrated their 64-62 victory, upsetting Miami to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. If she wasn’t restricted to a wheelchair, Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt surely would have joined the fun. Sister Jean, the longtime team chaplain, could barely contain her own glee inside the American Airlines Center. “Thank God, thank God we did it,’’ she said at the end of the televised broadcast. “We just knew we would do this. Our team is so great and they don’t care who makes the points as long as we win the game."

The team's coach was quick to credit her: "Sister Jean is our team chaplain and she's our COMFORT BLANKET. She just has so much spirit. She's got an unbelievable energy level to her that I connect with." The coach added: "You know how much she's praying for you. You know how much she's doing for you and she means the world to this university and our team." I love that "Comfort Blanket" analogy. I'm quite certain Holy Spirit inside that beautiful woman is her "power source".

When I read that headline and article, I remembered the question someone asked me, “I’m confused about the Holy Spirit. I hear people talking about it and it scares me.” I explained “Actually Holy Spirit isn’t an “it”. Holy Spirit is a person -- the 3rd person of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit was given to live inside of the life of a believer in Jesus Christ in order to produce God's character in the life of a believer in a way that we cannot do on our own. The Holy Spirit will build into our lives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Rather than TRYING to be loving, patient, kind, God asks us to rely on Him to produce those qualities in our lives. We are told as Christians to walk in the Spirit and be filled with the Spirit. I loved hearing about Loyola's COMFORT BLANKET. That precious nun is no doubt filled to overflowing with God’s Spirit which enables her to be that comfort blanket to others.

I saw another beautiful analogy of the Holy Spirit when I heard a young mom and a professional in the business world, give a beautiful but very emotional talk. As tears rolled down her face, I saw a lovely older woman go behind her and wrap her arms around her waist. The speaker calmed down, relaxed and carried on eloquently. That sweet older woman became her COMFORT BLANKET. That analogy spoke to me of how Holy Spirit is our COMFORT BLANKET. John 14:16-18 (Amplified Bible) says it so beautifully: "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener), to be with you forever -- the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, bereaved, and helpless]; I will come to you."

Maybe you need a COMFORT BLANKET sitting in your corner, cheering you on in the games of life that you're playing in. As a believer in Jesus Christ, professing Him as your Lord and Savior, He is in your corner in the person of the Holy Spirit Who lives in you and is there to be your Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor and Strengthener. Acknowledge His presence and experience His warm and cozy Blanket of Comfort.

TEAM-Work: Together Everyone Accomplishes More

I’m back in Austin with my two youngest grandsons who make for sweet times of board games, helping with homework, helping feed the animals and all the other shenanigans that works Nana’s brain AND body! LOL!

I was helping Bryson with his science homework which included the study of birds, and specifically, pelicans. Instead of working alone, I found out that pelicans work in teams which gives them a better chance at a good meal. As we read some of the characteristics of the pelicans, Bryson exclaimed: “Those pelicans are so annoying. They would not leave.” I knew what he was talking about. He remembered back to when he was just four years old and an invasion of pelicans overtook their boat, which was loaded with the fresh fish they had caught. See the photo here. Notice that Bryson wasn’t letting them boss him around, but those pelicans were there to support each other as a team. I like that. TEAM-work. Together Everyone Accomplishes More.....EXCEPT in the case of a very strong willed boy!!

This photo is one of my all-time favorites. You can tell this pelican was by no means the "boss" of Bryson and he showed it! LOL!

Maybe you've heard your kids or grandkids say "You're not the boss of me!" to a sibling or someone else. But have we ever made that statement to ourselves? Actually, we can, and we should.

”How often do we yield to temptations -- big and small? Instead of eating a few chips, we eat the whole bag. Instead of just a piece of chocolate cake, we go in for a second slice. Instead of walking away from listening to an obscene joke, we laugh with them all. Instead of changing the channel or walking out of a movie when the content is questionable and almost every other word is profane, we just sit there and take it in. Instead of eating nutritiously and getting exercise, we talk ourselves out of it. We then justify it all by saying "I just can't help myself!" But, in reality...we can. It's about Who the Greater One is that lives in us. The Holy Spirit knows what is best for us instead of letting our flesh be in control of us.

I daily desire to choose being on God's side -- endeavoring to be the conqueror over the tactics of the enemy. In fact, I think the most exciting journey in life is simply saying, "God, I want to change. I want to please You. I want to be more like you." I want YOU to be the boss of me.

The good news is this....it's not a process we have to conquer on our own. Our TEAM -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are with us to help us accomplish so much more than we could ever do on our own. God's Spirit in us is our Helper, our Guide, our Comforter and Partner in accomplishing whatever it is we may face. Very soon, we'll start to realize that we have some real authority because of our TEAM. When that happens, every time our flesh tempts us, all we have to do is speak Bryson's words to our flesh "You're not the boss of me!"

I Am a Friend of God

As a young girl, I wasn’t in with the “in” crowd when I was in school. I was by no means one of those popular girls that hung out with those cool cheerleaders and the hunky football team. I wasn’t even in the “nerd” crowd because I sure wasn’t a really smart kid either. I was a shy, average grade student who went to school, did average work, came home and played with my friend next door.

That sounds pitiful, doesn't it? But don’t feel sorry for me because it was in those years that my friendship with God began and grew and that friendship sustained and carried me through some of the toughest times as a little girl AND as a big girl. You see, my Dad was very ill from a brain tumor and after the surgery to remove it, he lived, but became more like a sibling to me than my Daddy. I watched my Mom be so brave and undaunted in her care for him and me. Mom was the best friend I didn’t have in girl friends, because she modeled what it is to be strong, loving, supportive, AND model her friendship with God. She’d talk to Him all the time. She’d sing and praise Him in the midst of such troubling times with my Dad’s illness and having to financially provide for us all. I’m so grateful for what she taught me in what it is to trust God and for Him to be her dearest friend.

Today, I am who I am because early on God was my “bestie”. Without a doubt, I know He’s with me and even when I don’t talk to Him, I know it’s okay, because friends don’t have to always be talking to each other. Sometimes, it’s just being in each other’s presence, so I practice His presence. You see, my FRIEND, is sitting right beside me as I type this post. I know it. I even sense Him smiling with His arm around me as I type “I am a friend of God.”

I’ve come to realize my peace, joy, courage and comfort come from the friendship I have with Him. Oh, I’m right in the thick of life just like others are, and it may look like I live unrealistically, but I assure you, this is the way to live above the fray that comes with “the thick of things". As important as it is to have close friendships, I assure you there is nothing to compare to having God as best friend.

Yesterday, I took a long walk and I started singing “I am a friend of God” (a great Israel Houghton song), and I started thinking about it’s one thing for God to be MY friend, but I want to be HIS friend. Unlike my childhood, I have lots of friends today, but really only a couple of “besties”, and I’m not sure what I would do without them. I know they are there for me any time.

And, as much as I love my girl friends, there is nothing to compare with God calling me His friend – and better yet, I like to think I’m one of His “besties”. After all, I’ve known Him most all my life – since I was 8 years old at a summer church camp, when I invited Him into my heart and asked Him to be my best friend. And, better than the girls in the “in” crowd, or my Mom, or even my “bestie” girl friends today, He’s perfect and I don’t have to look for Him. He’s always there when I need Him. He'll listen to anything I want to talk about, He holds my heart in his hand when life's too painful, and He whispers comfort to me when I'm afraid. James 4:8 says "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." The more I want to cozy up to Him, the more He cozies up to me! Thank you, Lord!

And I have to remember that my friends, even my besties, and I aren't God. We can only do our best to be like Him. He's my everything -- my Savior, my Helper, my Healer, my Shield, my Protector, my Father -- my Everything. And I like to think that I'm His best friend because, after all, He loved me so much that He gave His life for me. How's that for a "bestie"? He even encourages me to sit down and chat with Him, dump my worries and cares into His arms, to allow Him to carry my burdens and to remember all that He's done for me. Then, He gives me a little nudge and says, "Now, go love others, like you love Me!"

John 15:15 " I don’t call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. But I’ve called you friends because I’ve made known to you everything that I’ve heard from my Father."

You're Not the Boss of Me!

Maybe you've heard your kids or grandkids say "You're not the boss of me!" to a sibling or someone else. But have we ever made that statement to ourselves? We can, and we should.

How often do we yield to temptations -- big and small? Instead of eating a few chips, we eat the whole bag; instead of just a piece of chocolate cake, we go in for a second slice; instead of walking away from listening to an obscene joke, we laugh with them all; instead of changing the channel or walking out of a movie when the content is questionable and almost every other word is profane, we just sit there and take it in; instead of eating nutritionally and getting exercise, we talk ourselves out of it. We then justify it all by saying "I just can't help myself!" But, in reality...we can. It's about letting our flesh be in control of us instead of choosing what Holy Spirit knows what is best for us. Flesh vs Spirit.

I enjoy being on the side of God and His Spirit -- trying to conquer things and not let the enemy rule me. In fact, I think the most exciting journey in life is simply saying, "God, I want to change. I want to please You. I want to be more like you."

And the good news -- it's not a process we have to conquer on our own. God's Spirit is our Helper, our Confidant, our Guide, our Comforter and great partner in accomplishing whatever it is we may face. When we think this way, we can break free from those things that have kept us from God's best. Very soon, we'll start to realize that we have some real authority in Christ. When that happens, every time our flesh tempts us, all we have to do is speak Bryson's words to our flesh "You're not the boss of me!"

Galatians 5:16–18 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would."

Feeling Some Nudges? Having Some "Aha" Moments?

So you've been feeling some nudges, hearing some still small voices, having some "aha" moments? I'd like to suggest that God is trying to get through to you! If you are tight in your relationship with God -- you go to Him in prayer and study of His Word, you embrace His love and care for you, you KNOW Him -- then, it's definitely Him, and I highly encourage you to respond to His nudges.

And, when I talk about "nudges", I'm talking about the Holy Spirit Who Jesus promised would come when He went away. "However, I'm telling you the truth. It's for your advantage that I'm going away, because if I don't go away, the Helper/Counselor won't come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." John 16:7.

I talk a lot about "being on assignment" -- and it's so simple to know what that assignment is when we realize He who knows everything about everything lives big in us. We don't have to jump through hoops or any other actions to merit His favor or love. He is our Father so we should just live "tuned in" to His nudges and still small voice and the "knowing" that He is leading and guiding us. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27

So, let's start following Him -- His little nudges. He has so much wonder and awesome experiences awaiting us -- let's start pursuing them. We could take the "safe" route and the easy way by living a mundane life, or we can follow God’s impulses that lead to the "above and beyond" in our lives. Let's tune into the nudges that God is giving us -- those nudges to live, pursue, hunt, give, climb, dig, jump, walk, run, research, and focus on the assignment -- the nudges -- and the "aha" moments will surely follow close behind!