You are Welcome at my House!

I’m going to be a bit feisty in today’s blog. I can, because this Facebook/Blog space is my house, so to speak. I welcome you to stop by and check out what’s going on and to see what God’s download is for us. I have some "house" rules that include kindness, encouraging each other and everyone is especially welcome if you need a friend, a confidant, or a shoulder to cry on and to have someone who will pray with and for you. I’m expressing my heart and the absolute non-negotiables in my life. I’m sharing the values that we built our faith and family upon for generations.

This blog was inspired by my 16-year-old grandson, Brennan, who I’ve hung out with over the last several days and when he came to Frisco a few weeks ago. Something, rather, Someone, of monumental importance has happened to him. This guy has had a major encounter with God – not that he hadn’t before, but this time, he is all in and is undaunted in making his love for God known. He is daily on Tik-Tok and Instagram speaking to young people about making the most important decision in their lives, which is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is unashamed --- Mr. Cooler than Cool guy has had a radical transformation. And the best part, is that others have noticed this 180 – as he lives by example now. He wants to be a difference-maker. I was so blessed on Sunday when I saw him up at the front of the church on Sunday with other young people -- singing and raising their hands in praise and worship to God.

This year, he has taken this new zeal for Christ seriously and is taking it to school with him in an audacious way. His friends have noticed. Not everyone is excited about it as he was the cut-up, attention-getting, not-taking-God-real-serious guy. I saw him in his room playing a video game, while listening to a minister speaking on his computer. We binged on the three “God’s Not Dead” movies and ended with “The Case for Christ” movie. Brennan and these movies fired me up too -- with the certainty of the reality of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection. Among the many reasons for knowing it is true, over 500 eyewitnesses saw Him alive. (1 Corinthians 15:6)

Brennan inspired me so much that I want to make my values and beliefs known too. My values are found in the Bible, God's Holy Word. I agree with the psalmist’s words “Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105) And in Joshua 1:8-9: “This book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth, but I shall meditate on it day and night, that I may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then I will make my way prosperous, and then I will have good success." Scriptures undergird my values which are the absolute non-negotiables in my life. These are some of my statements of faith and my "house" rules:

** Love, peace, joy and God’s grace are fluently spoken here
** I believe in God our Father. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son. I believe in the Holy Spirit – our God, all three in one. I believe in the resurrection. I believe that in the name of Jesus, we can be healed and set free from any bondage. I believe in a real enemy of our souls, but more importantly, I believe we can live in complete freedom because “Greater is He who lives in us, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
**I believe that if we applied Jesus' "house rules" to our life -- we would make our world a better place. His "house rules" (aka commandments) are to “Love God with all our heart, mind and soul” and to “Love our neighbor as ourselves.” (Matthew 22:37-38) Keeping those "rules", reveals the depth of love we have for God and each other.
** I am Pro-Life. I believe ALL LIVES MATTER from the moment of conception to the grave.
** I believe in our “one nation under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance; in supporting our military; in supporting and praying for Israel; in the ability to worship God and practice our faith without being hindered by government; in patriotism where I stand for my National Anthem and my American flag.

When God made us, He planted within us certain things that we value deeply. They’re hardwired in our heart. Through our life experiences – from the environment we are raised in, the schools we go to, the friends we associate with, and the religious foundation we receive, God makes them clear to us. Those things are our core values. Now, you know mine.

I Want to be the Apple that Didn't Fall Far from Her Tree

Goodness gracious! I checked my blog archives and realized that it has been five years, 2015, since I gave credit to where credit is due for ME! Besides God, of course, it is to my dad and precious mother. Today is Mom’s birthday and the cast of characters for this 109th birthday celebration includes Father God, Jesus, the angels, her parents, siblings, my dad and all their children – except for this one girl who is the last one standing on this side of heaven.

We should be big on remembering those responsible for our existence. Happy Birthday to my sweet mama! The best of me came from her. Before I was a twinkle in her eyes, Mom raised my dad’s five and 3 years old children as her own. Then there was my sister born twelve years before me. I wasn’t planned, except God used a train accident that my Mom was in to tweek and rearrange her birthing parts to have me. So, whoala – the final hoorah was ME!

If ever there was an angel on earth, it was my mom. She was my mentor and everything a mother should be. She selflessly gave -- "Just give me the fried chicken neck -- that's good enough for me." She always forgave -- "It's okay. God forgives me all the time. I sure can forgive you." She loved unconditionally and overlooked the weaknesses of others.

Her integrity and honesty were of the utmost importance to her. She gave me boundaries that worked: "Let your conscience be your guide." Those words rang in my ears each time I was choosing right or wrong. Our church was her second home -- volunteering, serving and giving. She showed me undaunted faith and determination in the toughest of times when my dad was so sick and when our finances were so meager. I heard her praying for me and my siblings from her bedroom. She was unquestionably the most tender, kind-hearted, loving, gentle, caring and pure woman I have ever known. To this day she remains my hero. Her example made me a better me.

Since my mom has much better things to do than to recognize this tribute, I give it more for you and me to see what a role model -- in the truest sense of the words -- looks like. It is not the things or treasures or inheritance or life insurance or jewelry -- that make us. What makes us, and the legacy we leave to our children, are the things that money could never buy. Her influence on me caused me to be honest, to love and care passionately, to put my faith in God during the best and worst of times, to give and to suck it up when I've been hurt or offended, to trust in God's plans for my life and to leave my family with something so much more than the things that can be bought. I intend to leave them the very best of me.....and the very best of me is my precious mother's example. What are those things that you'll leave to your children and grandchildren? "Her children rise up, and call her blessed...." Proverbs 31:28

The Blessings of Listening

Last week I blogged about listening for God's voice. I admitted to my own inabilities to hear Him as often as I should because of so many distractions. But, on another note, I'd like to share with you some of the times when I did listen and how it paid off.

There were the times when I was hurt because of what someone said or did. And, hurt turned into frustration. So, I thought, I'll state my case in a nice lengthy email. I made sure that my words were only tainted a tad bit with my angst. I felt my words were kind and made my point. "Good job", I thought. Then, when I was ready to hit the "send" button, I stopped short. I heard a whisper in my heart, "Don't send it." Then I thought to myself, "I haven’t talked to God about this yet, have I?" I paused, sat back in my chair and prayed over the little email I was about to launch. That prayer nudged me to sleep on it. I did. Next morning, I realized that no matter how savory my words were, they could be misconstrued and it just wouldn't be worth the confrontation. I realized the same Holy Spirit Who nudged me to sleep on it, is the same Holy Spirit that lives in my friend.

We've all heard the saying, "Sleep on it. Give it fresh eyes in the morning." Good advice. I know that routine because that's what I do each day after I've typed my blog. Since I always make sure my blog goes live by 6 am every day, I sleep on it and with those fresh eyes I scan it and invariably, I'll see a grammatical error or a sentence that isn't needed or it's just way too long and so I edit something out that wasn't necessary. I like to think it's not just my eyes that scans it, but Holy Spirit scans it with me -- for me! Those little edits are heaven-sent. I just know it.

I've learned my lessons well because there were times when I sensed/heard God whisper and ignored it. The still small voice—the warning. I know that it's so much more than my conscience speaking. Well, in fact, I know that my conscience holds hands with the Holy Spirit, so I've come to welcome those warnings. Because, there were times when I didn't act on those warnings, and it is just not worth the misery it caused.

Today, I count on that voice that causes me to take a little longer before I send a text message, an email, or even speak my mind. I'm taking my time to consider the outcome if I said this or that. I'd like to say I've conquered the hastily-spoken words and said something that seemed so innocent, but in the ears of someone else, were taken the wrong way.

Here's what I know for sure. God doesn’t speak to hear His own voice. No, He lovingly will use whatever it takes to protect us from our own undoing. His voice is not only one of correction but a voice of protection. I've learned to discern His voice better AND I'm remembering to ask for it.

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you unsearchable things you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3) Listen and obey. Simple as that. And when it comes to emails, text messages or real life interaction, I ask myself daily: "Will these words simply make a point or am I using my words to point to Christ?"

Be careful little mind what you think….because thoughts lead to actions and actions can sure get us into “quick sand” of regret! Please save us, Lord, from ourselves. Keep us tight with You – so tight – that we imitate You in our thoughts AND our actions!"

Would We Look the Other Way?

I don’t know about you, but I did. Looked the other way, that is! It seemed there were beggars holding signs on every corner of this busy Austin intersection. The light was red and one was coming down the line of cars toward me. I hoped for the light to turn green before he got to me. It did. Whew! Spared that dilemma: “Do I give him a dollar or some change or do I avoid looking at him?” I avoided looking at him. But, my conscience hurt as I passed him. Would it have been worth the change or a dollar to NOT have this moment when I felt like I let God down. After all, I am that girl who makes up bags of a water bottle and a package of crackers and cheese to at least give something. How could I be so heartless?

Yesterday, my blog was about "Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves." The emphasis on "loving ourselves". Now today, our Gospel reading in Luke 10, Jesus speaks those words to an inquiring lawyer. I want "neighbor" clarified once and for all! The lawyer and I both ask: "So who is my neighbor anyway?"

I dove deeper into Jesus response. Whatever this lawyer had in mind for the answer, I’m sure it wasn’t the story that Jesus told. And I’m sure it's not what we would expect either. We all may know the parable of the Good Samaritan that followed in Jesus response. It seems the “neighbor” is the man going to Jericho who was beaten and left for dead -- the one who three men encounter. I think the "Good Samaritan", the one who helped this man, also proved to be a good neighbor. It made me want to be like this Samaritan who helped when help was needed and not get all caught up in questions about who we're supposed to help, and when, where and how, and what if it will make me late for church on Sunday if I stop? I know the dialogue well!

What I’ve come to realize about our neighbors is it's more about OUR identity, not theirs. What matters first is who we are. The radical truth is that in Christ we have been given a right standing before God and we are propelled in love for God and others by the power of His Spirit in us. So that affects the way we see those around us. It's not because they've become something different, but because we have.

Of course, we could make a thousand qualifiers. The Good Samaritan didn't give his spare change to buy another bottle of whiskey, and from what I understand in working with the homeless, it’s not the best use of our resources either. But I’m thinking that more importantly is that maybe we get lost in the qualifiers too often — about when help can hurt and who are the poor. These are all important questions, and we do well to give them careful thought.

But while we think, and think we must, may we never lose sight that the central issue has to do with how the Gospel message bears on our own souls. God made us new creatures in Christ — empowered to love others for His sake. I’m sure God wants us to help the poor and blesses us when we do. In the words of the Psalmist David: “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes” (Psalm 41:1-2).

It is indeed a worthy cause to help the poor, including the sign-holders on our street corners. Each of us must respond to these people as the Lord guides us, not forgetting at the same time to offer prayers for needy people. Personally, I’m determined to not over-analyze should I or shouldn’t I, but I think I’m going to make up some more of those bags or have a protein bar on hand to give to them, look them in the eyes and say “God loves you and so do I.” How could that be anything but loving my neighbor as I love myself and God loves me?

The Emergency Alert System

If you carry a cell phone, I’m sure you received this alert a couple of days ago. And, in case we think this was a President Trump knee-jerk decision to send out personal texts – au contraire! President Obama signed a law in 2016 that required FEMA to create a system that allowed the president to send cell phone alerts regarding public safety emergencies. They did it! It’s already used for natural disasters or missing children alerts that we can opt out of, but no one can opt out of the presidential alert system. The president has sole responsibility for determining when such alerts are to be used. But don’t check your text messages expecting to hear President Trump’s opinion on Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation process or other news. The presidential alerts can be used only for national emergencies.

My, how far we’ve come. In a matter of seconds, everyone who owns a cell phone can receive a message that could save our lives. I’m thankful for warning systems. The dashboard lights in my car, smoke detectors in my home, even the little bumps in the road that let me know when I’m crossing over into another lane. If there’s any device or object that’s able to warn me of danger or impending catastrophe, I want it working for me.

In the Lord’s perfect design, we are equipped with a warning system to keep us from danger and harm. Pain is a warning system. When we first experience that pain, it may not feel like a blessing, but it’s really a gift from God. We know something is physically wrong when our body hurts. But more than that, pain is God’s way of protecting us. Maybe it’s as simple as needing to drink more water, get more rest, making better food choices, and/or getting into some fitness routines.

From a spiritual perspective, we have another built-in warning system – our conscience. Just as pain warns us of physical danger to our body, our conscience warns us about the potential threat to our morals and values. Our conscience alone can’t save us. It’s merely a warning device. And unless it has been guarded and trained, it won’t be able to alert us to spiritual danger. A malnourished, confused, and underdeveloped conscience won’t be able to protect us. In fact, it could actually lead us to immorality and regrets.

Yesterday I talked about training our spiritual muscles. That training can be applied to training our conscience like our physical and spiritual muscles. It needs to be developed and protected and sharpened. Living a life of freedom, joy, peace, hope, and love is possible and that’s why God made sure to give us such amazing warning systems. My Mom’s famous line was “Let your conscience be your guide”. Those were her parting words when I went out with my girlfriends or boyfriend. Those words served me well as they were loud in my ears and kept me on the straight and narrow path. May we heed God’s warning signals and alerts.

Never do we want to ignore His warning system. It’s his love call and his love language. He loves us too much to leave us.

Wisdom is the Principal Thing -- Get Wisdom!

We have all heard the phrase “right place at the right time”. That was my daughter when she just happened to be at a conference in Hawaii and the conference director asked if she would sing a song at one of the events. Always prepared with a soundtrack back then, she did sing and belted out the lyrics like there was no tomorrow. At the back of that room was Peter Lowe, the host/director of the notorious Get Motivated Success Events that included speakers: presidents and wives, like George & Laura Bush, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Colin Powell, Margaret Thatcher, football legends like Joe Montana and , motivational speakers to the likes of Zig Ziglar and Tom Hopkins. Peter asked Staci to sing at his next event and for the next 12 years she was honored to be a part of those events around the country. That was definitely right place; right time.

But what about wrong place; wrong time? As I was reading my Facebook/OnThisDay – a few days ago, this first photo from 2012 came up along with the explanation: “ As a statement of faith, Ryan Lochte has said all year that his time has come. On Saturday evening he matched deeds to words by surging to a majestic victory over Michael Phelps in the first of their two London Olympics medley duels at the Aquatics Centre. "I feel amazing, knowing that for the last four years I have put in all that hard work. I have said this before, that this is my year." My comment on that post read "Lochte sets a great example for anyone who has a huge dream and goal: speaking the faith-filled words and putting those words to action with the hard work it takes the achieve the prize!!" Oh me!

That was in 2012. Fast forward to the 2016 Olympics when he, along with other swimmers, were returning to the Olympic Village from a party, and they stopped at a gas station to use the restroom. Days later, Rio police held a news conference and said the athletes had vandalized the restroom, breaking a soap dispenser and mirror, as well as destroying a poster outside the bathroom. There was outrage against Lochte in media accounts around the world. Wrong place; wrong time.

Some good news came a couple of weeks ago -- after 10 months of grueling investigations, enormous legal expenses and efforts to repair his name. “We are pleased that the court has finally dismissed the criminal prosecution against Mr. Lochte, while at the same time, appropriately recognizing that he committed no crime. It has been a long year, but in the end, justice prevailed,” said Jeff Ostrow, Lochte’s Florida-based attorney, in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. Good news for Lochte, but think about the implications of being at the wrong place; wrong time. At the 2016 Olympic games Lochte was ridiculed publicly for days and lost sponsors after Rio police asserted his story was a fabrication – infamously claiming one of the assailants put a gun to his forehead. The USA TODAY investigation found no evidence that the men had vandalized a bathroom at the gas station that night, as authorities had alleged. Lochte acknowledged he was intoxicated at the time and apologized for the negative attention he brought on the U.S. swim team. He was suspended from the U.S. national swim team for 10 months for his actions at the gas station, a penalty that ended July 1.

Every day we have the opportunity to be people of integrity, honor and character, and everyday we have the opportunity to be at the right place at the right time. I remember asking my mom could I go here or there and her response to me was “Let your conscience be your guide.” That simple phrase said “Be sure to be at the right place at the right time – not the wrong place at the wrong time.”

My grandson and his buddy were all hyped about the release of the latest “Star Wars” movie and decided to don their Star Wars costumes with their light sabers and run around the neighborhood to save the day for anyone in distress. What they didn’t realize that it was the wrong place at the wrong time when a concerned parent thought they could be individuals who could potentially bring harm to the children that were outside playing, so he contacted the police. The boys were confronted with “wisdom” in the form of a police officer that night.

Wisdom goes a long way when we realize that even the most innocent of intentions could be misconstrued if it’s the “wrong place at the wrong time”. Perhaps a good dose of wisdom could have saved the day and time and financial means for Ryan Lochte and I’m quite sure he would tell us that today. Perhaps, we need to hang out more with her...WISDOM!

Proverbs 4:6-7 “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”

The Purer the Vessel, the Greater the Flow

"The purer the vessel, the greater the flow" -- Staci Wallace
Before my girl left for the airport this morning, we had some sweet time talking about how much we desire God's ultimate "stamp of approval" on our lives, in EVERY area of our lives. We talked about the times when it's easy, and even seemingly harmless, to make little compromises in doing the RIGHT thing. You know....putting the shopping cart back into its proper location, or putting the cereal you don't want, back in the cereal aisle. Or, being given too much change back by a cashier, and just keeping it; or just a little white lie; or just a little gossip. It's the little things, that over time, that causes our consciences to become seared, and what was once a clean, pure vessel, now starts getting clogged and that free flow of blessings seem to be held back. Again, this is that "tweaking" and "course correction" time, when we realize the LITTLE THINGS do matter. Don't we want the flow out of us to others to be abundant in encouragement, comfort, joy and love? And, don't we want God's flow back to us to be the same? It just makes sense to get out God's roto-rooter to clean-out and purify these vessels -- our pipelines -- because, as my girl said, "The purer the vessel -- the greater the flow!" Oh how I desire that flow -- freely flowing -- in and out of my life!