🎈🎈🎈🎈 A Tribute to my Beloved Sister 🎈🎈🎈🎈

Because she's alive and well and it's her birthday!
Tributes to those we love generally come after they have passed on. I can’t wait to give that tribute because, quite frankly, I may get my heavenly-orders before she gets hers. One advantage of marrying young has been that I have had many years, not only to grow up together with my husband, Ron, but also his sister, Karen. I had no younger siblings, but Ron’s 4-years younger sister, became my sister and dear friend.

Karen was the giggling little 9-year-old sister that got to see her 13-year old brother and 12-year-old ME holding hands under the table at Kip’s Big Boy Restaurant in South Oak Cliff Dallas after Sunday night church services. She adored her big brother and believed anything he told her. She would gladly trade her dime for his penny or nickel because “Sis, I’m happy to give you this big coin for your little one.” Allies, the two of them, who could conjure up some brilliant child-versions of mighty exploits.

Years later, Karen and I had a niche-market estate sales business. We marketed the home and its contents. Our merry hearts, sense of humor and out-spoken faith opened the doors for us to have a thriving, successful business of which people would tell us “You're the BEST!" The estate sale business is a work-out, but loving and helping people in time of need became not just a business, but our mission field.

It was at about the same time that Ron became very ill with Stage 4 Kidney Cancer. Karen and I were close but never closer than this season. She went with us to almost every doctor appointment. She provided a shoulder to cry on during some of our toughest times and a merry heart to laugh with us during hilarious times. Karen and I were Ron’s prayer team. We would go for walks during “stressful times’ at the hospital. Worry could have consumed us, but we turned those times into stretching-our-faith-muscles times.

After Dad passed away, Karen assured Mom “You’ll always have a home with us when you're ready." George and Karen made sure that happened when Mom could no longer live alone. They have been hopelessly devoted to mom in every way. Karen has been relentless in her faith, determined in hope,and unparalled in her care for mom. I can’t begin to adequately explain the kindness in her heart or the depth of her love that even goes beyond mom and her immediate family. She has always had a one or two-at-a-time ministry to those who were mistreated or misguided in some way. She is not only beautiful on the outside, she has a beautiful soul. She sees the beauty in others. She is remarkable. She has become known for caring for the uncared for right until they pass onto heaven.

Truly, to convey all I want to say is inadequate in a mere blog, but I hope I've at least conveyed my deepest love and utmost respect for my sis. Karen, I was chosen by your brother and he chose me to be your sister. And I am the blessed one. Happy Birthday, my faithful and beloved sister. 🎈🎈🎈

Are You Buff, Toned, and Muscle-Bound?

I hope you’re still reading after that question because, quite frankly, most of us aren’t. But, this question is asking about our “faith muscles”. I’ve learned so many lessons in God's gym. My faith muscles have had a good work-out and some days I can lift some pretty heavy stuff. We go to that gym because we know we need to stay fit when it comes to our faith and determination to keep on keeping on.

Faith is very much like a muscle. The more we use our muscles and exercise them, the more they grow. And the more we grow, the more we can lift and others will even notice our muscles. even when we’re not flexing. I’m smiling as I type this because I am wishing that I had physically noticeable muscles when I flexed. LOL! In the same way, someone who is a man or woman of faith is not merely gifted with it, their faith has become noticeably larger because it has been worked out over time until it can be seen without even flexing!

When I ask for God to “increase my faith”, He gives provides me with increased opportunities to grow muscles. YIKES!! Not the most pleasurable experiences – working out often hurts! Some of those workout routines may look like an illness that we or a loved one are facing; a loss of a job; difficulty in a relationship; struggling with another trial or testing. Each workout routine gives us the opportunity to depend on Him more, to trust Him literally for every breath we take, to spend more time in prayer with Him, and to get as close as we can to Him.

We can recognize those whose faith is so strong even when they are not flexing it. Once we get spiritually fit, the issues that once plagued us (i.e., fear, despair, worry, unbelief, hopelessness, concern) seem to have little effect on our strong belief and trust in God. My post today was inspired by a precious friend who I follow daily on FB. This woman's faith muscles are so developed that through the greatest tests, she still proclaims “Nothing is impossible with God”. Just take a look at her musclebound faith:

“Faith is the only reason I’m still standing and fighting. It is the reason why my “terminally ill” son is still alive at 8 yrs old and now off of 19 medications. He’s never walked independently a day in his life, but EVERY SINGLE DAY multiple times a day, I tell him his legs are SOO STRONG!! I tell him he is SOO SMART!! I tell him he runs SOO FAST!! I tell him he’s such a great preacher!! 😎 I tell him he’s healthy and whole!! His vision is perfect!! His hearing is perfect!! His organs perform the way God designed them to! I tell him he’s loved SOO MUCH and that the same spirit that lives in JESUS lives in him!!

That, my dear friends, is what I call “faith-muscle”. After reading Lori Street Whitmore's words, I went back to the gym – God’s gym, that is – and I exercised a little harder, longer and thought, “If she can make it through so many rigorous work-outs of faith, so can I." What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger. So many faith-muscle-bound people encourage us. I’ve got several of those “trainers” in my life. Perhaps, you need to start with the best muscle strengthening program available. Here are some of the training manual’s tips:
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good faith; I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”