Harvest Time Up Ahead -- Keep Doing Good!

This blog inspiration is brought to us today by our good friend and mentor, St. Paul. His words are filled with hope for those of us who have been on the "do-good" tractor -- planting and planting, and we've been wondering if it has been worth it. Oh, but then comes Paul's firey voice cheering us on: "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)

It has been a tough row to hoe (speaking in planting and reaping terms) the last few years. Maybe you've gritted your teeth to stay kind and to bear it all. Or, you shut your eyes and put ear plugs in to deafen the harshness of the loud voices of the enemy. You may read these words and relate them to stuff going on in your family, or you may relate them to what's outside. Stones have been cast and angry voices raised. Hit and run proclamations. But we are still standing, somewhat stunned, but we're still here. We must not be done. It’s in times like these that retreat sounds so safe. Let’s go home, lock the doors, bar the windows and disconnect the doorbell. Gather up our stockpiled faith and ration out just enough to survive. It seems tempting to safeguard our hearts by taking them right out and sticking them in a steel encased safe. Then forget the combination.

But, then, our tried, tested and proven faith warrior friend, St. Paul -- who suffered great physical pain, was imprisoned, shipwrecked, mocked and beaten for his faith -- speaks again as a challenge and invitation: “Let us not grow weary of doing good." These words bring tears to my eyes, a lump to my throat. It's in this deeper, invisible place that sees the best in people, that reaches out in love, that keeps believing folks can change. This sort of hope has taken a beating lately. And as I type this blog, I talk to God about it and He replies "I understand."

I realize, He does. More than I can know, more than any of us comprehend. He knows what it is to love and love. To extend yourself so far that you are....oh, stretched out on a cross. Then we hear the words of St. Paul again: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2) Fixing our eyes on Jesus changes everything. Consider the perfect Man who endured such opposition from sinful men. Perhaps we are so disillusioned these days because we have been looking at each other. And we, mere humans, always fall short. We disappoint. We cave. But not Jesus.

So, we suit up and we keep doing good -- like Jesus. He is the reason we can stay in the race. Take the next step. Keep going. Keep believing. Most of all, keep loving. Not locked away, but the safest place for our hearts is entrusting them to the One who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. The One who does not grow weary. The One who, in the middle of all the noise and chaos and even danger, will never allow our hearts to be lost. So what do we do? We keep doing good -- harvest time is up ahead. I'm getting the biggest John Deere tractor I can find -- I'll need it because I'm not quitting. I'm going to love even more and expecting to reap a mammoth harvest! Care to borrow my tractor?

What Does Your Life ECHO?

I was in a store and heard a young child speak an unthinkable string of words. I spun my head around to see what the parent was going to do because I could hardly believe my ears. Yet the parent seemed oblivious to his words. Evidently, the parent put the words out there and the child echoed those words back. In another situation, I witnessed a child putting her little hands on her mama’s face and with fervency exclaimed, “I love you sooo much!” That child echoed the words she had heard. What is being echoed in your home and in your sphere of influence?

An ECHO is like sowing and reaping. What we plant, we harvest. If we only speak AND think and if we only plant and sow words of doubt, negativity, unbelief, worry, and anger, then we can expect back the echo (the harvest) of the same. On the other hand, when we are speaking and thinking, planting and sowing -- good thoughts of blessings, love, joy, generosity, peace, kindness, and respect – then that echo will come back with the same.

It’s the Fall season which, of course, leads to thoughts of harvest time and reaping what we’ve sown. With this post, I’m encouraging all of us to think about what our life is reaping. God's laws of reciprocity have never changed. "You reap what you sow." Galatians 6:7 We know the repercussions of negative sowing so if we want a harvest of what we sincerely desire, we'll make sure that our "planting" produces a crop of blessings! If we’re not reaping the blessings we’d like to have, then maybe it’s time to give thought to the seeds we planted.

If we planted honesty, we'll reap trust.
If we planted friendship, we'll reap friends.
If we planted love, we'll reap love.
If we planted hard work, we'll reap success.
If we planted forgiveness, we'll reap reconciliation.
If we plant faith in God, we'll reap a harvest of blessings.

I’m on a mountaintop and I’m yelling “I love you! The echo is “I love you!”. I’m shouting “You are strong and courageous: My echo is “You are strong and courageous!” Imagine you’re on that mountaintop today – what are you shouting and what is coming back at you?

Remember, you are the director of your own movie. You can say CUT at any time to negative speaking and thinking! So go ahead and rewrite the ending to be one of a great harvest of blessings because that’s what you planted during the first scene of the movie!

Celebrating 3 Years of Making a Difference

Day 263 of Photo Inspirations -- Celebrating 3 Years of Making a Difference
#TBT What a joy it is to be back in beautiful Bellevue, WA.  When my plane landed, Ryan called to let me know he had "a car" picking me up and wanted to know what door I'd be coming out of baggage claim.  I told him, got my bags and headed out, and there was Ryan standing there to pick me up.  He said he couldn't wait to see his Mama!  I love it when Shawntel and my boys pick me up, but those were sweet words to this Mama today and what a sweet surprise for my boy to take time out of his busy day to come.

It's a big deal to be here in September as it's Solavei's 3rd year launch anniversary and now it's in a beautiful new headquarters building (the 3 of us in this photo there). We're still here going and growing strong.  What a thrill it is to still be seeing my sweetheart's dreams and prayers coming true -- "oh, that our family be closely knit together in all areas of life".   Ryan continues as CEO & Founder and, as of this month, Staci is Senior Vice President of Solavei.  What a blessing it is for this Mama to see her kids impacting and making such a huge difference in so many people's lives.

As I look back on this time 3 years ago, I saw years and years of prayers answered in such an amazing way.  Solavei, the first ever Social Commerce Network, was launched.  Staci, Larry and children had moved to Washington to help get the company off the ground.  

And these cousins got to bond like never before, and here they are this week having cousins' fun time again. Staci typically works from her home in Frisco, TX -- but travels back and forth to Bellevue.   Alexia's birthday present from her Mom and Dad was to go to WA with her Mom for the week -- that meant fun cousins time.   Of course, that makes for Nana's joy and bliss to see such love between them all.

Before Staci and Alexia left for the airport last night to head back to Texas, the 3 kids had a "Kumbaya Ceremony" (that's what they named it) -- to say 'goodbye' and make a pact of love with little plastic animals -- LOL!    That little ceremony might seem like child-play today, but, like my two kids having "pretend church and pretend meetings" way back when they were these cousins' ages, today, before my eyes, I'm seeing what a little seed can produce in "due season".

One of the scriptures read at my Sweetheart's funeral was John 12:24 “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."  I'm quite sure that my Sweetheart was that grain of wheat -- the single seed, but when he died, it (he) produced many seeds.  Our kids are those seeds, our grandkids are those seeds,, our friends and extended family are those seeds, and YOU are thoses seeds, too!  We REAP what we SOW!  Thanks be to God for Harvest Time!