The Morning's Blaze of Glory

I don’t think we were ever so grateful for Easter to arrive as we were this year. At least that's how I felt about the new hope that comes with the resurrection of our Lord. And, what a declaration was made when a downpour of rain came and knock-me-outta’-my-bed-thunder and lightning early morning. I thought: "God, is that You echoing the sounds of the morning of Your beloved Son's resurrection when the earthquake rolled away the stone from His tomb? And, then You accentuate the 'great escape' when I see the sun breaking through the clouds in splendor as I drive to my children’s home for Easter breakfast?" The dismal, dark skies broke through like a blaze of glory -- maybe like Jesus broke through on that Resurrection morning!

Immediately, I started thinking about another Gospel song by the Gaither’s with Guy Penrod singing these words:
“Then came the morning, night turned into day
The stone was rolled away. Hope rose with the dawn
Then came the morning. Shadows vanished before the sun.
Death had lost and life had won, for morning had come."

I googled the song to listen to those inspiring words again. These lines touched me as much as the Christmas song, “Mary, did you know?” These words speak to her heart once again:
"The angel, the star, the kings from afar,
the wedding, the water, the wine.
Now it was done, they'd taken her Son, wasted before His time.
She knew it was true, she'd watched Him die too
She'd heard them call Him just a man.
But deep in her heart, she knew from the start
Somehow her Son would live again. Then came the morning…"

That was yesterday. This is the day after THAT never-to-be-surpassed morning. The plastic eggs are put away, the Easter meal left-overs are in the fridge. But, our new normal may be to leave up the palms, the crosses, and red ribbons. We’re not ready to put away the exhilaration that comes from our Savior coming back to life. Imagine what Easter Sunday was like. I mean, wow. It must have been a blaze of glory.

But, that blaze of glory wasn't temporary. It ignited a movement -- a spiritual, proactive, action-driven movement of discipleship. It was a movement of “let's change the world". And that mandate and movement is now passed on to you and me. We don’t need a microphone or a platform to share the good news. We just share it in our homes, our neighborhood, and the marketplace. Yes, we're the ones with the palms and crosses on our doors or in our yards. We're the ones that blog, post a comment about our Lord's love. We listen for His voice. We stand to our feet. We follow where He leads. And, we tell any and every one that will listen: “This is the God who loves us so much HE gave us His best." This is the God who sends us.” Everything changed THAT morning! A blaze of glory was ignited. Are we catching the flame to go and BE the followers who proclaim our resurrected Lord and Savior?

For Holy Easter chills, listen to Guy Penrod and the Gaithers sing this exhilarating song of morning glory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGjfF31zB24

Commitment or Contribution?

I’m back in Frisco from my Austin “green acres” experiences while my children were out of town. Did I mention my grandson has 32 animals, of which 16 are chickens: 2 roosters, 8 mother hens and 6 “teenage” chickens who will mature to the “hen” status in a few months. Scanning through my cell phone photos, I ran across these photos of what it looks like in the coop when I would bring in the “mother lode” of eggs each day. Each time I gathered them up; I shouted out to the hens and said “Thanks, Girls, for the contribution!” I brought home a couple of cartons of those best-ever (something about fresh eggs); took one carton to my daughter and another to my cousin. Those hens “contributed” and I paid it forward by contributing their contribution!

We've all heard the analogy about the chicken and the pig. The chicken is involved and contributes eggs to the breakfast table and then goes about her day, but the pig is committed. He's tossed in the frying pan, and that’s “Good-bye, Mr. Pig!” He went out in a blaze of glory….but was it really "glory"?

As much as I enjoy its sentiment, one thing has always bothered me about that story. The one telling the story is always conjuring up the idea that only when we commit, not just contribute, will we succeed in our efforts. But that level of commitment leads to a side of bacon. The pig didn’t even volunteer for his sacrifice of commitment. His life was taken, involuntarily. He’ll never again get to enjoy a roll in the mud. All the while, those chickens love pecking, strutting and flying around and are enjoying life.

There’s a lesson to be learned by those chickens. While the pig was enjoyed as a great meal compliment, those chickens continued to survive adversity and they just kept right on giving and living....and, oh, BTW -- their brothers and sisters knew commitment -- probably even more than the pigs -- just look at all those KFC's, Chick-Fil-A's, Cane's, Popeye's and Chicken Express' out there!

There's something to be said for merging commitment and contribution. Most certainly our Lord exemplified both. He lived a life of commitment to His calling to change the world with His message of love, hope, and faith. And we, too, have the opportunity to fulfill our commitment to Him, Who freely, sacrificially, and fully gave His life for us. Our Lord paid it forward so that we forever can live and serve and make a difference in this world. He contributed Himself to us, so count me in as a contributor, too! I want to follow His lead to share, give, provide sustenance around me -- long term.

Here's how we can merge the two: contributing peace, joy and God's love everywhere we go, and, then in the end.....let's bank on going out in a blaze of glory because we've been committed, wholly and completely, to our Lord as we have served Him and others with all our hearts. In that case, WHAT A WAY TO GO OUT.....blazing the trail for others to follow!!

Involvement or Commitment

We've all heard this analogy about the chicken and the pig. The chicken got involved......but the pig was committed -- he gave his ALL.

I started thinking -- though the pig gave his ALL, and went out in a "blaze" of glory, he had to be replaced, but the chicken CONTINUED to survive adversity and "life" and just kept on giving and giving.....LONG TERM!

I don't know about you, but I'd like to be both......I want my life to be about giving, sharing and providing sustenance to everyone around me -- long term --and then in the end.....I expect to go out in a blaze of glory because I will have been COMMITTED, wholly and completely, to my ultimate purpose in life -- giving, loving and making a difference in my world!

Here For A Purpose and Assignment

I am a very busy woman. That's on purpose. I am passionate about life and squeezing out every drop of it that I can. Not only do I work as a marketing representative showing visitors the wonderful community where I live, but I'm a member of another company where I get to share an amazing opportunity that changes people's lives. I serve in various capacities at two different churches. I have a Life Group that meets in my home every Thursday. I'm a Board Member of a non-profit organization, an Advisor on another, as well as serve on two committees in my community. I speak and/or teach at events and organizations. I mentor and counsel some precious people. I post each day about something that might help someone. And, best of all, I'm on beckoned call when my kids call for my help. In fact, I'm in Texas, right now, helping my precious daughter and family move into their beautiful new home.

Last week, one of my friends asked, "Aren't you so tired? You just do too much -- after all you're supposed to be retired?" My response, "Where did you hear that from? I have no intention of EVER retiring. In fact, every day I refire with passion to do even more!! If I'm not dead; I'm not done. I fully intend to go out in a blaze of glory!"

I heard Joyce Meyer say, "Don't be always talking about 'If I can just make it through this old world to my mansion in the sky'. If that's what life is all about, the minute you got saved, God would have beamed you out of here! You are here for a purpose. You are not here just to take up space!"

I love that -- God's master plan is for us to live our life with excitement, enjoyment, determination, and zeal......and to fill that space with loving, caring and spreading God's love everywhere and to everyone! When my time here has ended, I'll know that I will have no regrets, because I gave it everything I had. Yes, I believe I'm here for a purpose and assignment.....and when my assignment here is completed, God WILL beam me out of here!