God's Remarkable Color Palette

Take a look at these beautiful “Spring” flowers. Breath-taking – literally! Not just the beauty, but the fragrance is exquisite. Well, these flowers should be – they’re growing in this exotic climate of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico where my Austin family and I are here celebrating Spring break and family love. I was delighted when they invited me to be a part of the fun. There is something about being entertained by God’s beauty in another area of God’s beautiful earth.

As beautiful as this week is for me, it only holds a candle to a little over eight years ago, when I went to Cabo with this family after a whirlwind previous couple of weeks of major decisions to be made, funeral preparations, and all the responsibilities that went with my sweetheart's graduation to heaven. Cabo was just what I needed – to get away – find that place of consolation, peace, and comfort. Everything about the previous few weeks – in fact, the last eight months had seemed quite surreal. But, I had walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and, because of this profound place of peace, I literally feared no evil. God was there to comfort me – that was His promise in Psalm 23 – He had kept His promise. I was comforted.

Of course, I'm nostalgic being back here in Cabo this “Spring Break” week and, I’ll admit, I’m savoring the memories – especially those that were so healing to me. Embraced by family. Embraced by God and His creation. Embraced by the sounds of laughter of my grandchildren. Embraced by the knowledge of knowing that God has given me so much tender loving care during this life-after-death. It was a choice I made early on and it seems the more life I live on purpose, the more life gives back to me in monumental ways.

I assure you, it is possible to feel the loss for a while in those times of life, but NEVER to stay there. To grow and celebrate this season of life, we must pick ourselves up and be willing to go to a NEW SEASON. As Spring is surfacing and the trees and flowers are blooming, we can see God’s reminder to let go of the old things and expect the new things He’s wanting to do in our lives. Expect that there are good and beautiful things to come. As the flowers are being resurrected to new life, the trees are sprouting from what seemed to be a lifeless state, the green grass is peeking through the brown remains of winter, may we SPRING FORTH in fresh, new strength and vitality that comes from taking off those grave clothes, and putting on garments of praise and joy! It's a new day, it's a new season, it's a time for great expectation that this will be the BEST day and times of our lives!

Isaiah 43:19 "Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

Happy NEW Year -- NEW is the Word of the Day

I was checking in with Headquarters (God – my CEO) on what my assignment for 2018 would be, and the message I received was "Word of the Day”. My blogging began in 2010 and it started with daily posts that spoke of the faithfulness of God during our roller coaster ride that sure had its ups and downs in it. That was the year my Sweetheart battled Stage 4 Kidney Cancer until he received his "eternal" ticket to ride to his finish line, and go to his home sweet home. In any case, it was the NEW beginning of my blogging and daily posting on Facebook.

The next year, 2011, I asked God for my NEW “widow’s” assignment, still desiring to serve God in the best way I knew how, and I received the words ‘’This is your mandate – every day provide a positive, uplifting and encouraging message the first thing in the morning so that others will have those thoughts to hold onto in their new day.” So, here I am, starting my ninth year of blogging, and I still love greeting each new day with words that have the potential of altering the course of someone’s otherwise negative start or finish to their day. Since the beginning, I’ve received all kinds of encouraging comments from my friends and family – you know who you are! God bless you for being my cheerleaders! From that time to this – I’ve purposed to post before 6 a.m. every morning – only adjusting if I’m in a location that doesn’t permit easy access to Wifi. A few years later, 2015 to be exact – my assignment was to find a photo inspiration for each day and to write my post based on that photo.

Now – with 2018 ahead of me, the message I received from Headquarters, is what I’ll be doing – seeking God for 365 words for 365 days of 2018. I’m making a conscious choice to focus on ONE word for each day – and I hope and pray the words God gives me are THE WORDS that will encourage you and give you added fuel for your daily faith journey. This year starts with the word, “NEW”.

There is just something about the start of a NEW year -- with a NEW journal or a NEW calendar. It's a clean slate. There’s something in us that naturally draws us toward fresh beginnings. 2017 was a doozey of a year for many its end brings the hope of a NEW start. I’m sure God engineered us for do-overs – fresh starts. Why would I start this year with NEW? Because even God seems to think new starts are pretty sweet. Here are some of God's "NEW" words from His WORD (the Bible), to help us enter into 2018 with a NEW beginning.

~~~ GOD MAKES US NEW: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become NEW." 2 Corinthians 5:17

~~~ GOD GIVES US NEW SONGS OF PRAISE. “He put a NEW song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." Psalm 40:3

~~~ GOD MAKES NEW WAYS FOR US “I am doing a NEW thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

~~~ GOD’S MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY MORNING. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are NEW every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

We have a NEW year to be the best versions of ourselves that we can possibly be; NEW potential for achieving our goals; NEW clean slate to start fresh to show ourselves and others that we are a finisher – not a quitter; New will to overcome; NEW desires to trust God in the sun and in the rain; NEW goals to break OLD habits. It's time to begin again with NEW expectations of great NEW adventures and blessings up ahead. But most importantly to write some NEW stories that leave a NEW legacy for those who are following us -- a legacy of "I can" and "I will"!!

I’ve already started on my NEW chapter. At the end of 2018....I'll glance back at the victories won and the many, many NEW doors that opened up for me to great NEW opportunities! Today, I close the door to the past, open the door to the future, I take a deep breath, step on through and start a NEW chapter of my life. How about you?

New Season.....New Day.....Celebration Time

If you live in San Diego, CA, Maui, HA or Orlando, FL, you enjoy reasonably mild climate throughout the year, but if you live in Tulsa, OK, you'd know the highs and lows of the most dramatic weather that accompanies each season. We get enamored by the changing of the leaves on trees that go from fiery reds and oranges....to no leaves at all. Those trees just spent the entire winter with bare branches. Now, all of sudden, those same bare branches are sprouting small purplish/red flowers and small white flowers. I love watching this beautiful transition. Yesterday, the high in Tulsa was 85 degrees. It excited me so much that I went to Lowe's and bought some herb plantings to get my veggie garden on its way. I loved feeling the warm sun. It's familiar, but also, NEW, all at once.

Isaiah 43:19 says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it! I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

God is always in motion which tells us He is always up to something new! What He did yesterday was great, but today is a NEW day. I think He is always conjuring up ways to amaze and surprise us. The seasons are a perfect example of the daily mercies He brings to us. Winter changes into spring, spring to summer, and summer to fall. And, we, too, are constantly in motion -- we are growing and changing. Aren't we so thrilled that we aren't just one-season-people? Always in the same-O, same-O of life?

Our lives really are seasonal and when we are unwilling to accept change and grow, we become stagnant in our physical, spiritual and mental state. To come into a new season and to grow in our faith, we must let go of the old one. Isaiah 43:18 says, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past." One of the many lessons life teaches us is to let go. Whew! That's not an easy one, when we're faced with letting our little ones start to school, or for our high schoolers to go off to college or get married and leave the nest. And neither is hanging on to past hurts and struggles, and past relationships. I assure you, it is possible to feel the loss for a while in those times of life, but NEVER to stay there. To grow and celebrate this season of life, we must pick ourselves up and be willing to go to a NEW SEASON.

As spring is surfacing and the trees are blooming, we can see God’s reminder to let go of the old things and expect the new things He’s wanting to do in our lives. Expect that there are good and beautiful things to come. As the flowers are being resurrected to new life, the trees are sprouting from what seemed to be a lifeless state, the green grass is peeking through the brown remains of winter, may we SPRING FORTH in fresh, new strength and vitality that comes from taking off those grave clothes, and putting on garments of praise and joy! It's a new day, it's a new season, it's a time for great expectation that this will be the BEST day and times of our lives!

Love and blessings to all....Donna