A Baby Changes Everything

I love Faith Hill’s song, “A Baby Changes Everything”. It is so true – especially when that growing little baby inside the Mama’s womb is getting new body parts and new features week by week while the Mama’s body is changing on the outside and inside.

God's glorious birthing plan! Please don’t try to convince me that little being isn’t a baby. I know otherwise. From the very beginning, God had a plan for that little darling’s future. I know that from my own experience. I also know it as I delight in following a precious, young couple’s FB posts. Their prayers to conceive were answered and now I rejoice with them as I watch the radiant, exuberate mama taking pride and joy in showing the growth of her tummy bump week after week. Literally, a baby is changing everything about their lives.

Every day I send short, early morning text messages to my four darlings (my two and their spouses). Nostalgia consumed me as I sent my son’s text message yesterday. While looking for photos to display for my daughter’s recent birthday, I found a treasure in an envelope. The treasures you see here. I sent this message to my son: “Look what I came across. Your original birth certificate and the baby bracelet you wore in the nursery. And on the top right corner of the birth certificate is our home address. I looked it up on Zillow. Daddy and I had to move out of our one-bedroom apartment to this sweet little 800 sq.ft., 2-bedroom, one bath house that could accommodate a baby boy coming to live with us. We had your room all decorated before you were born. I would go in there and savor the smell of your baby clothes and picture that precious little baby coming into our life. It was the sweetest little house. We lived there until dad’s uncles helped us to get into one of their trade-in homes for one of their houses. We paid $7500 for that one. We were officially homeowners. Just a reminder of how blessed I’ve been with you, my sweet son. We’ve spent a long time together. Lots of sweetest memories to hold onto. Oh, the joy you brought to us. Thanks for going with me on a trip down Memory Lane this morning. I love you so much!” That little boy did change everything in our lives.

Speaking of a baby changing everything -- the birth of Jesus changed our world. The One who was born in a Bethlehem stable came here to Planet Earth to make every heart His home. And, it is our privilege as followers of Jesus to share the amazing good news of His love with our broken world in every way we can. That’s why I write a daily blog to partner with you in spreading the Good News that came with the birth of that sweet little Holy Child – lying in a manger -- Who was our Lord and Savior in the making.

At the end of her Christmas song, Faith Hill testifies, "My whole life has turned around, I was lost but now I'm found, a baby changes everything." Doesn’t that compel you to want to help as many people as you can so that their lives turn around from lost to found? Let’s be a bearer of “Good tidings of great joy to all people"! The Lord has come so everyone can experience the transforming love of Jesus! Gloria in excelsis deo!

To Walk Humbly With My Walking Buddies

Hyde Park, Tulsa, OK – I’m back in my beloved T-Town for a few days. What would a walk down Memory Lane be without my good friend who has walked with me here so many times in the past? We were among the firsts to purchase a lot and build here. Only big dirt piles and graded land were here when I purchased. We were risk takers. Who knew if all the promises made by the developer would come true? He kept his promise. It was a struggle in the beginning to entice people to move to this barren land that was adjacent to a “promised” mall nearby.

So what do walkers do to pitch in and help make the dream come true? We walked often around the community and we prayed for the buyers that would join us in our community. We prayed for supernatural publicity. We coined the phrase: “Hyde Park is Holy Property”. Today, we walk among the manifestation of our prayers. So many new homes have been built with so many great residents all over now. It's wonderful.

There is nothing like walking and talking about God's faithfulness. A good morning walk with a good friend, as the sun is rising, is beyond measure. It doesn't matter if we have some personal issues and need someone to listen, or if our job that day is to do the listening. It just seems a walk in God’s creation is the answer. We aren't there to get in a certain number of steps or see how many calories we can burn. We are simply there for the peace that comes from a walk. To slow down. To breathe. To talk. To listen. To love. To be loved.

I can’t help but think of these walks when I read this verse in Micah 6:8. “He has told you what is good and what the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Just as those morning walks are more than the steps, so is walking humbly with our God. The walk is about a relationship. He is our guide. And with Him as our guide, we know we are on the right path. If we are walking humbly with Him, staying in step, we form a beautiful bond that will guide us. We recognize it is not our will, but His that is best for us. What is before us is unknown to us, but not to Him. He leads. He shows the way. He is walking with us through it all. Through the good and the bad. Through thick and thin. Always. This isn’t just one nice walk. This is long term.

This is a relationship. A journey together. This is a commitment. Listen to Him. Depend on Him. His plans for us are far beyond what we could plan for ourselves. Even when it seems like it’s not, we humble ourselves and trust. Walking faithfully with God.. What an amazing way to live our lives. God is our constant walking companion. Let's ask ourselves the tough questions: Am I walking humbly with God? Am I walking humbly as Jesus walked? His humble walk is our example.

The Yellow Rose of Texas

These are my yellow roses -- the season openers -- spectacular in fragrance and beauty! I was my Sweetheart's “Yellow Rose of Texas”. So, it made sense that our wedding color was yellow, and the flowers we chose were yellow roses. In every home we lived in – we always planted yellow roses as a reminder! Once again, though my Sweetheart is no longer here on this side of heaven, I still planted yellow roses at this new house. It’s a sweet reminder of the many years of love we shared. I cherish the sweet traditions that were just "ours". It's amazing how important, and even sacred, many of those things were to us, and, now, even more so to me. Those traditions continue to bring me so much joy as I continue to go down Memory Lane. That's why I get on my soapbox, and keep telling all my peeps "cherish the moments and make lots of memories because you'll have them to hold you until you're spending eternity together!!" Speaking from experience -- you'll be so glad you did!!