This is What a “Comeback” Story Looks Like

It’s one thing to get inspired by this wall hanging in my daughter’s home, but it’s a testament to the words when you have a live and in-person comeback story that walks in your front door. These are Christina’s beautiful two grandsons who she is raising to be mighty men of God. They surprised me with love and this yummy red velvet cake on my birthday. And, now, today, it’s Christina’s birthday. I get to reciprocate the love here.

First of all, happy birthday to this beautiful gal, Christina Willis, who is someone this world should know, then endeavor to emulate the tenacity and determination of what an overcomer looks and acts like. Christina, I pray you are blessed beyond words for your commitment to changing lives daily. As a devoted follower of Christ, you serve passionately and are relentless in helping others have a comeback story, too. Carry on, sweet girl! Your best is yet to be! I love you so much! <3 Christina is a bright light that has exceeded our expectations in so many ways. If ever there was a story of God’s amazing grace that took someone from the lowest lows to the highest highs – that’s this gal’s story. In August, 2017, Christina was homeless and living in a hotel with her daughter and her two sons. They were struggling financially -- evicted and homeless many times over the previous 20 years. Although she was attending church and Bible studies, she still felt lost and hopeless. She knew she needed someone to show her how to apply her faith and teach her life-skills to get her life turned around. Then she met my daughter, Staci. Christina started attending her “Mission Possible --Unlocking Your Full Potential” Bible study course that she had written. From that first night of attending the class, Christina’s world began to change. It was as if God gave her sight after being blind for so many years. During the Mission Possible study, she was delivered from a major paranormal addiction and deep-rooted shame. She found forgiveness and freedom and learned how to forgive others, despite the years of rejection, abuse and brokenness she had experienced. She then began a journey of learning how to apply biblical wisdom to practical life choices in the organization my daughter heads up, EMwomen, a non-profit organization that equips and empowers women by helping them learn life-skills to become stronger leaders in the marketplace, their homes and community. EMwomen’s motto “Every woman has a story and every story can change the world” certainly is true for Christina. There isn’t room here to share Christina’s full story, but suffice it to say, Christina’s life was radically and fully reversed (her COMEBACK). Christina shares: “My story began to transform when I began to make better choices. My alignment with EMwomen changed the trajectory of my life. The communication and life-skills I learned enabled me to get a job in the medical industry, making more money than I have ever made in my life.” Now she has a beautiful home and is raising her two beautiful grandsons.

Christina is now EMwomen’s Director of Outreach where she oversees programs that specifically reach single moms and girls who are running from domestic violence, struggling through abuse, homelessness or perhaps they have suffered from divorce or human trafficking or other areas that have held women from achieving God’s best.They are loved right where they are, but they are walked through spiritual deliverance, practical life-skills training and personal coaching to help them emerge from their past into quality jobs, better relationships and an abundant life in Christ.

Christina has found that rather than having been given just a fish, she was taught how to fish with the skills and spiritual fortitude necessary to thrive in life – and now she is paying it forward. Perhaps, it’s time to write your “comeback” story – where you rise out of the ashes and step up into the bright light of God’s mercy and love -- where you consider where you’ve been and where you are now, and become a blessing to those who need to hear your story for God’s glory. Christina had a major comeback. So can anyone who is living in hopelessness and who would welcome God to be the Lord of your life. Perhaps you’ll have a comeback story that will change the trajectory of your life, too!

I Can Control ME!

I thought I’d mix it up. Instead of my usual chair that faces the TV, I decided to sit in the chair that faced out to my screened-in patio. Amazing how changing things up can change our perspective. My eyes were drawn to this wall hanging that the previous owners left behind. It was a bonus to see words that I needed, and maybe you do, too!

I read with intention: “Think deeply. Speak gently. Love much. Laugh a lot. Work hard. Give freely and BE KIND." That's a great mission statement for anyone! Was God nudging me to read those this day? I did, with a little haughtiness. If God was wanting me to read them, I figured I passed His test. Actually, I think He was wanting me to up my game! Each one of those phrases is a sermon in itself.

“Think deeply” – that one gave me pause because lately I haven’t been thinking deep thoughts – pondering, like Jesus’ Mother, Mary, did. Treasuring these times instead of resenting them. I embraced these words today – to think deeply about God's promises and how He loves me so much and He is surely working on good for me. I needed to reel myself back in from the things that have distracted me from Him and ponder and treasure Him.

"Speak gently" -- it's easy to get caught up in all the angry folks out there, who speak anything but gentle words. I really want to be gentle with an encouraging voice, but there are times when I know I need more gentleness! But, Lord, it’s so hard to stay quiet when I or my friends are being attacked by unkind words! Oh, I get it, you are wanting ME to control ME!

"Love much" -- This is the crux of what God wants from us. Remember how Jesus narrowed down the 10 Commandments to just two? "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. AND, love your neighbor as yourself." If we loved that much, we would always keep "the ten"! Lord, You loved much when You were attacked, rejected and spoken lies about. Please help us love as you love. WWJD!

"Laugh a lot" -- I have a friend in Tulsa who helps me with this one. Witty, herself, she sends me jokes and hilarious stories. I love hanging with my grands. They make me laugh, especially when they remind me of ME and some of my ways! Laughing is good medicine. I love the laughter that families are embracing during these times. I've seen many funny memes that have come out of it.

"Work hard" I can give myself a high-five for this one. I’ve always been a hard worker – even when I wasn’t working. I’m a doer. I loved watching The Chosen Series. It portrayed Jesus as a hard worker – cooking meals, carving wood, making furniture – after all, He was born into a hard-working family. He set the example for us.

"Give freely" My husband had the gift of giving. He would give away anything we had to someone who needed it more than we did. He gave away our bed when I was having severe back problems. We resorted to our son’s water bed and within two weeks of sleeping on that warm, watery bed, my back was completely healed. I think God wants us to freely give, so He can bless us even more with abundance.

"Be kind" -- What a wonderful world this would be if kindness was our mode of operation! My mind is flooded with examples as I am sure you can reflect on encounters where kindness made a difference in your life. Kind words and actions from others have caused me to realize that every day I have the opportunity to let kindness pour out from me. I want to be sensitive to God’s prompting when He nudges me to be kind and to speak kindness into the life of another.

We can’t always control the things that life brings our way -- especially during times like these -- but we can control how we respond. I’m taking in the words of this sign today. I will accept Jesus’ invitation to walk more closely to Him and to “Think deeply. Speak gently. Love much. Laugh a lot. Work hard. Give freely and be kind." Thanks, Lord, for loving me so much that you want me to be the best version of ME that I can be! And, thanks to the sellers of this home who left that message for me!

Browsing Brings Blessings for a Blog

DREAM, PLAY, GIVE, SMILE, CHERISH -- truly words to live by. This wall mural got my attention while shopping at the At Home Store. This is the way I really want to live! Embracing this one life with as much gusto as I can.

DREAM like there are no impossibilities. Nothing is impossible with God -- so we shouldn't insult Him with small thinking -- BIG THINKING brings Him BIG PLEASURE! “Let the Lord be magnified who has PLEASURE in the prosperity of His servants.” (Psalms 35:27)

PLAY like there are no winners. My son is a marathon runner -- readying up for the Boston Marathon in April..again. He doesn't run to win. He competes against himself -- to finish. He is the winner of every race he runs. And I intend to be the winner of my race! I will finish my course AND my God-given assignment. I will be the single winner of my RACE! "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us," (Hebrews 12:1)

GIVE like you have plenty. Generosity is about a heart for giving -- and when we have that heart -- there will always be more than enough to share. Give time. Give intentional focus to that one who needs your undivided attention. How about being such irrational givers that we start to round up when the cashier says "Would you like to donate to whatever charity they're representing?" "Give and it shall be given, pressed down, shaken together and running over" (Luke 6:38)

SMILE till your face hurts. I want my outside to reflect the inner joy and delight I have on the inside. There's just something about a "smiler" that lets us know -- something or SOMEONE lives big in them. I love Nat King Cole's "SMILE" lyrics: "Smile though your heart is aching. Smile even though it's breaking. When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by if you smile through your fear and sorrow, smile and maybe tomorrow, you'll see the sun come shining through for you. Light up your face with gladness, hide every trace of sadness. Although a tear may be ever so near. That's the time you must keep on trying. Smile, what's the use of crying? You'll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile." "A cheerful heart is good medicine," (Proverbs 17:22)

And, CHERISH you and your friends and family everyday. It takes a lot to say "I cherish ME", but isn't that what Jesus meant when He said "Love your neighbor as you love yourself"? I really do cherish my friends -- THAT'S YOU -- and my family. My greatest joys and the things that money just can't buy are those people that God has given me. "Because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you cherish towards all God's people," (Colossians 1:4)

I'm going to keep my eyes WIDE OPEN for the "God" moments like I saw in this sign. They sure make me want to dream more, play more, give more, smile more and cherish more -- on purpose!

I’ll Admit It. I’m a Jesus Freak!

While in the waiting room of my doctor’s office, I noticed these first three photos of wall-hangings and plaques AND Christian music was playing in the background. What a comfort it was to know he is a man of faith. Then, on Saturday, I went for a haircut and I noticed, right away, these next wall hangings that surely indicated this gal’s faith. I said, kiddingly to her: “You are definitely a Jesus freak!” She admitted she is, and so am I.

The term "Jesus freak" was originally used to demean or insult Christians involved with the Jesus Movement in the 1960s and 1970s. It was primarily directed towards those who were especially aggressive in their evangelistic efforts. The core meaning of Jesus freak was a person who is so dedicated to following Jesus that it seemed there was nothing else the person could talk about. A Jesus freak is basically a person who is obsessed with Jesus.

Yep. That was my husband and me back in those days, and that is still me today. My hair stylist told me that people will come into her shop and right away, they’ll start their conversations with her by saying “I love your wall hangings. You are definitely a Christian aren’t you?” And she said other people will come in and they’ll notice the hangings and not speak of them or they don’t even notice them at all. I’m proud of her. What a great way to say “I believe”.

Sometimes it’s NOT a piece of cake to start talking about our love for God. We want to share about that love and oftentimes it feels awkward or pushy and even, Jesus freakish, but just because we possess more enthusiasm, passion, and excitement about a certain thing, in this case, a certain SOMEONE named "Jesus" doesn't automatically make us "freaks" does it? Why is loving someone so unconditionally as we do our Savior has to be something society is threatened by? We're simply passionate about someone. It would be like calling an aspiring actress an acting freak. Or someone who really loves the products they sell a "selling freak"? It's simply our overwhelming love for THE ONE Who gave His only Son to us that we would have life now and forever. We are often embarrassed to talk about the One who lives in us and who has given us so much. I am a “Jesus freak” because I can’t help myself. There aren't many conversations that I have with anyone that God’s name isn’t mentioned. If you knew where I came from and what I’ve been through, you’d know the reason why I love Him so.

Not long ago, the kindest man who was formerly the mastermind behind the City of Frisco's Water Wise program and who is now retired but does sprinkler system repairs, repaired mine. He was diligent, efficient and low-priced so I just had to tell others in my community about him on our NextDoor app. He got lots of new business from my recommendation. Why would I not share something good so others can be blessed? If I knew the cure for cancer, why would I withhold it from others?

That’s how I feel about God. I sing because I’m happy. I’ve been blessed way more than I deserve. I live in peace because He walks and talks with me each day. He comforts me when I’m sad. He nudges me when He wants me to be better and do better. He is my best friend and confidante. He lives in my heart and is my ever-present help in trouble. How could I NOT share Him with others? I have scriptures, crosses, plaques and statutes and all kinds of symbols in my home. You would know who I hold in greatest esteem and honor. I wear a cross necklace. I listen to Christian music. I pray in restaurants, and if I’m with people who I don’t know if they know Him, I still ask if I can pray over our meal. I'm not ashamed. Yep. I’m a Jesus freak!

St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel at all times……and sometimes use words.” Maybe it’s time we all should strive to make God famous through our example and our love for Him that cannot be suppressed…..because we just can’t help ourselves. We’re just so in love and we know He is the cure for loneliness, depression, sadness, fear, worry, and anxiety….we can’t hide it!