And Let the JUDGING Begin

As in every year since I was a little girl, I'll be watching the glitz and glam, seeing who wins all those scholarships and finding out who takes home the crown of the Miss America pageant this Sunday night on ABC. I was starstruck by those beautiful, smart and talented young women vying to be the next Miss America. I'd watch and "judge" from my sofa, select my favorite, and hope she'd be the winner. With great anticipation, I'd hear the names of the runners up and hope I had "judged" accurately. What an andrenaline rush it was when I was right. Then hearing Bert Parks sing "There she is...Miss America. There she is....your ideal." All that pomp and circumstance was so exciting!

In 1995, my husband and I were cheering so loud for that adorable redhead from Oklahoma who was beautiful, poised, confident and radiant. We never imagined that just a few years later THAT GIRL, Shawntel Smith, would become "the love of our boy's life"! She won our hearts in the 1996 pageant, and soon the love of our hearts forever!

I understand that those young women are scrutinized to the nth degree. Those judges carry huge responsibities. We just witnessed the Olympics where judges determined the results in many of those events. Dreams came true and others whose performance just didn't measure up, were disappointed. I think about the "reality show" talent and sports competitions where judges play a huge role in whether or not those competitors win or lose by just the smallest margin.

Many of us feel judged on a daily basis -- from our bosses, co-workers, friends, family and acquaintances -- by the way we look and the way we act. People can and will have opinions, but we should never doubt ourselves, but have absolute faith in who we are and never should we let another’s “idea” become our reality. And neither should we judge others. We don't know their reality either. That cranky cashier's world could be falling apart. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." Matthew 7:1

Many of us think of God as a judge who is always judging us. We see Him rewarding us for our goodness and how much faith we have, and punishing and disciplining us for our mistakes,

Bottom line, unlike talent or beauty or sports competitions, God doesn't scrutinize us. He always responds to us in love. Isn't that good news? What counts to Him is that we come to Him. It's true He rewards those of us who believe and who diligently seek Him. He still loves us even when our faith is weak and we doubt and worry or are afraid. All He asks is for us is to come to Him. He will give Himself to us. No, He doesn't judge us with a scoring system. He is loving, embracing and teaching us to be the best we can be -- and He's handing us much more than a crown. In Isaiah 62:3, we read that we ARE a crown...."You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God."

Blessing in Disguise

I love being a judge at the NCFCA (National Christian Forensics and Comunications Association) Speech & Debate competitions. This is my second year to be a judge and I am continually impressed by these highly skilled and astute young people. The process includes days of rounds of speeches and debates in specific categories. Yesterday I judged a Team Policy debate round on the changes needed in the Federal Court System. WOW -- did those teams ever amaze AND perplex me! Deciding the winner of the debate wasn't easy, for sure.

I also judged several speech rounds yesterday, among which was an Impromptu speech category. An Impromptu speech is where the individual draws a card that has two unknown topics on it. They have 2 minutes to prepare a 5-minute speech on their choice of the two. One young man drew his card and he chose the topic "A Blessing in Disguise". I was richly blessed as he skillfully delivered an impromptu speech that he based on his own family's challenges. His father had been laid off his job and had trouble finding another, their car had broken down, his mother's shoulder required surgery, and his sister had been in a car accident -- all in the matter of a few days. He went on to share how they trusted in God's perfect plan for their lives in spite of the challenges they faced.

This young man went on to describe how often people draw closer to God during their rough times. They can see more of how things work according to God’s ways which which are loving and kind. And a loving God will work in everything to bring about goodness to people who love Him. The point is not to sulk each time we face something bad in our life, but we should believe that in everything that happens, there’s a "blessing in disguise" on the way. When we emphasize, believe and have faith that our loving God will not do evil, but will bring about His loving plan for our future.

He closed his talk with telling us that not only did his dad finally obtain a really great job -- better than any ever, the car was easily repaired, his Mom didn't need surgery and his sister was okay. It was all a "blessing in disguise", because today he was able to share the goodness of God with us. He reminded me of the many times I've had "blessings in disguise" in my own life.

How about you? Did you get detained by a flat tire or traffic that was backed up for miles, or your child left his books at home and you had to turn around and go back home for it? Or you lost your job and now have an even better job? What if all those interruptions were "blessings in disguise" to what could have presented itself in a much worse outcome? Let's watch out for the "blessings in disguise" that are awaiting us today!

#NCFCA #BlessingInDisguise

I Was Important in the Life of a Child

Day 71 of Photo Inspirations.
What a joy it is to be watching my two Texas grandkids in their speech and debate competitions. They did so good yesterday.  I'm so grateful, that within just a few hours, I can drive to be a part of these events that I know are laying a great foundation for their future.

The competitions continue today and Saturday. Not only am I getting to watch them, but I'm also a judge for other kids in the competitions.   What an honor it is to be a part of something that is creating such strong young people to be dynamic speakers and leaders.

But if only I could have just been two places at one time. Watching my other grandson pitching winning baseball games in Arizona today, would have been awesome too.   The fact that his parents believe in his athletic talents so much that they're willing to invest in him and fly all the way to Arizona to show their love and support.

I'm so thrilled for the diversity in our family.   I love that their parents are cultivating their talents and building strong leaders and cheering them on to be the best they can be in whatever they're focusing on at the moment.  These kids are their parents' greatest assets, and their most precious treasures.    

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."  -- Forest E Witcraft, Teacher & Scout Leader