I Wanna Go Back…..Maybe NOT!

I’m revving my engine, mentally and physically, as I type this blog today. A lot has been on my plate for the last few days and even more the next days, weeks and even months. I was on the road again after a beautiful three days in Tulsa. Made it to Austin last night -- safe and sound -- on the road again! Lots to do, places to go and people to love,

I heard the David Dunn song, “I Wanna Go Back” again and this time it really resonated with me. The song describes how as we grow older and lose our childlike faith and belief that we can do or be anything. Instead of being grateful for all the abilities we have to drive a huge vehicle on crazy busy highways and byways, and even maintain our lives on our own, take on responsibility and conquer it, and be grateful we even made it through our childhood ups and downs, we digress to wanting to go back. David Dunn sings “I wanna go back to “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. I wanna go back to “This little light, gonna let it shine.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUvxhGRUR3s

This time when I heard the words of that song, I realized how much Jesus does loves me and I truly know it. I’m not just singing words. I’m singing from my very being. He loves ME! He sees me as a beloved daughter and though often I feel like a messed-up kid, He still loves me -- this I know!

Here’s the funny thing. As a kid, I thought God was out to get me when I slipped – maybe a little peek at a friend’s paper to get the answer to a question, or the little fib I told my mom. I feared Him and His big stick. Today, I recognize my mistakes quickly, and do my best to make amends. I feel His arms around me, pulling me into Him and His gentle words: “I forgive you. Do better next time!”

And, about that wanting to go back to “This little light, gonna let it shine” – I’m doing that too. I’m not that little kid any more who thinks God is punishing me for something I did wrong. Once upon a time, I really did think that. I didn’t really understand grace until I grew up and rationalized that the free-flowing grace of my Father is what proves Jesus loves me this know! Not just because the Bible tells me so. I know. God has proven His love and grace for me in abundance – far more than I deserve. So I purpose, first thing EVERY SINGLE DAY – to let my little light shine through my blogs and my “can’t keep it to myself” attitude. I know a good thing – er, a good Father – and I must share Him.

Now, I sing “Jesus loves me this I know” with absolute certainty of that love. I notice that He keeps a watchful eye on me and delivers me safe from harm. I recognize the car that almost ran into me, the misstep that I took and didn’t fall down, the sweet embrace of a friend and I know it’s Him loving me through them. We’re big kids and by now we should be fully aware of God’s love. If we really understood His love, we’d understand He’s smiling at us with a gleam in His eyes -- the same way I watch my kids and grandkids.

If I see my own with the joy of a mother’s heart, I know He sees me with a joy that surpasses my understanding. I know because the same God who created them, created me. He created you. I want to smile back at God with the confidence of a daughter. A daughter who knows “Jesus loves me. This I know, with absolute certainty!” How about you?

Is There a Red Sea Between You and Your Miracle?

After my "animal patrol" duty for nearly three weeks, my family finally made it back home from their summer vacay! I was headed back home when my two youngest grandsons asked to go home with me. I loved it! Sweet words to my ears.

Those two boys have had quite the full summer which started with church youth camp where there is always the opportunity to learn more about God's love, get closer to Him, and, many times, have a radical life change. It happened to me in my youth.. And, it happened to these two. So much so, that 15-years-old Brennan seems like a brand new young man.

In order for them to go home with me, Brennan had one more day of football camp before he could leave, so I hung back for the extra day. Usually, I depart for home from Austin at 6 am to avoid the traffic, but this day, waiting to 2 pm to leave raised concern about the traffic leaving Austin, the Temple and Waco traffic and then arriving at rush-hour-traffic in Dallas. We were all packed up and after praying a short, journey-mercies prayer, we were on our way when Brennan said, "Nana, pull over and close your eyes. I want to pray." I did. He prayed "Lord, I ask you, like with Moses, to please part the Red Sea of traffic that faces us. Thank you. We love you. Amen" He was serious. Serious business with God.

I'm completely honest here. In my many travels to and from Austin, I have never seen so little traffic. We breezed through Temple (after stopping at Buc-ees), sailed through Waco. We kept thanking God. Of course, the Big Kahuna Dallas traffic awaited us. But even there, as we made it into downtown Dallas at 5:30-ish -- mild traffic, but I could see it was picking up toward the Dallas North Tollway. Brennan said, "Let's pray!" And again he prayed the same "Red Sea" prayer. I quickly hit my Waze app and it redirected me from the usual way home. I trusted it and followed that direction to the 35-N Express Lane which I had never seen before. It zoomed us by dead-stopped traffic to a less-driven road but virtually no traffic on it. We made it home in the same amount of time that it takes me when I leave early-morning. We were high-5'ing and thanking God.

Imagine how this "small" yet so significant scenario meant in the life of a teenager in realizing "nothing is impossible" when it comes to asking and receiving from God. Yesterday, we went over to see Uncle Larry & Aunt Staci. We were telling them about his football camp and his hopes for being a receiver in this year's football season. We also told them about our "Red Sea-parting" story. Aunt Staci said, "Hey that might be a good prayer for you to pray when you're being faced with big defensive ends! I loved it. And, I love how God "practically" gives us illustrative stories that carry us through every challenge and situation we face. God never changes. He parted the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites. He parted the Red Sea for my grandsons and me. Maybe you have a "Red Sea" that you are facing. May I suggest that you turn to God in "child-like" faith and ask Him to part the waters for you today?

Exodus 14:13-22 -- "And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left."

Worry Less; Smile More Often

Worry Less; Smile More Often
I've posted this photo before, but it is such a powerful reminder of the childlike faith and trust that we all need so much. I just had to share it again for you AND me.

Don't you just love watching a baby sleeping? His/Her adorable little smiles that just indicate their satisfied, care-free existence. Life was worry-free when we were kids and when we had parents who were bigger and stronger than us and were the answer to all our needs and wants.

But for us -- all grown up with lots of responsibilities, cares and concerns, there's certainly plenty for us to worry about. Income tax returns (just started getting my records together), identity theft (some pranksters put fraudulent charges in my bank account), too much month left and too little funds to make it through, who our next president will be (Dear Lord, help us!), or a medical report that wasn't so positive (Had those, too!)

But, even more loving and caring than our parents when we were kids, is our loving and caring Heavenly Father who wants to help us "worry less and smile more often". As God's children, should we worry and fret? Would He teach us to walk, to watch us fall? Would He give us life, to watch us fail? Would He be nailed to the cross and then disregard our prayers?

Philippians 4:6-7 says "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

God has a wonderful plan for our lives, and part of that plan includes taking care of us -- so let's purpose to WORRY LESS and, by the way....SMILE MORE OFTEN! Smile a while and give your face a rest. Let the world know, you know Who's got all the stuff in your life and in the world under control. Smiling could just possibly be the magnet that attracts the people, circumstances, and things you need to succeed and overcome all that is trying to pull you down. I think that's exactly how our DAD wants us to live -- complete trust in His wise and sovereign ways that ensure we are in His loving care.

Partner, Do You Believe We Can Do This? Yes, Partner, I Believe We Can Do This.

Day 137 of Photo Inspirations -- Partner, Do You Believe We Can Do This?  Yes, Partner, I Believe We Can Do This!
Those are words the dad and son exchanged in the movie, "Little Boy" that our Life Group attended last night.   That little boy's daddy was teaching him, early on, that if you believe, anything is possible.   It was a powerful and moving film about a little boy who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring his dad home from World War II alive. Not long after his father leaves for war, Pepper, the little boy, hears the Bible verse, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move" (Matthew 17:20).  Then he becomes determined to get enough faith to bring his father home.

While his dad is away, Father Oliver, a good, wise and humble priest, became the little boy's confidant and he introduced a to-do list to Pepper, to get him started on his road of faith.  The "to do" list was:  Feed the hungry; Shelter the homeless; Visit those in prison; Clothe the naked; Visit the sick; Bury the dead.  We've heard those words spoken by Jesus in Matthew 25:35 and it sure made practical sense in this movie.  Oftentimes we think the way to obtain more faith is through praying more.  That "to do" list is OUR "to do" list as well.  That "To Do" List puts our faith to action.

The audacious faith of this little boy changed his world.  Oh, that our audacious faith would change our world, too!  People of faith, who have true, honest, child-like faith, make the people around them better, and it makes them better, too.  Childlike faith that moves mountains is faith that moves mountains in other people's lives, as well as their own.  There are no limits to what God can do when we sincerely believe "NOTHING is impossible with God".