Glass half full?

Glass half empty?

I’m just glad I have a glass at all.

I’m just glad I have something for God to pour into.

Perspective, y’all.

It’s a game-changer.

Today, when we step out of our front door, we have a choice to make – how are we going to do life? Are we going to grumble and mumble or are we going choose a more positive pathway.

You can’t do both, but you can always backtrack and start over.

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

“14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,” Philippians 2:-4-15 (ESV)

I have so many devotionals stored in my phone this morning that I could post, but none seem quite right.

What I want to say isn’t new.

What I want to say isn’t profound.

It’s not a cute new groundbreaking slogan.

What’s on my mind are the following three words:

Just be nice.

That’s it. That’s all.

Kids, teenagers, grownups – Just be nice. It’s easy, and it could change someone’s life. Including yours.

This is truly the cry of my heart.

When people are rude – be nice.

When people are hurting – be nice.

When you don’t agree – be nice.

When they’ve hurt you – be nice.

When you’re tired – be nice.

When you don’t get your way – be nice.

When you want to pop off like a firecracker on the 4th of July – Just. Be. Nice.

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:12-14

In her book “Unfriended” Lisa-Jo Baker writes that there is power in speaking words of blessings and encouragement over someone else.

Let’s do that today. Let’s lift one another up in love. Let’s pat someone on the back. Let’s encourage. Let someone know that they are in fact rockin this thing called motherhood. That they inspire you. That they make this world a better place.

Let’s do this from a place of love. From a place of truth.

Be an encourager for Christ, and watch the power of His love and grace spread like a wildfire.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

My kids are always teaching me something.

There’s just something about the purity of a child’s heart – a heart not tainted by the harshness of the world yet. A heart that truly loves without restrictions.

Sunday morning I looked over and Maggie had big crocodile tears in her eyes. When I asked her what was wrong she said, “I don’t want anyone to go to hell. Anyone.”

Her little heart was broken, which broke this momma’s heart wide open. Instantly the song “Break my Heart for what Breaks Yours” came to my mind. As Christians, that should be our anthem.

Our hearts should be broken for the lost souls in our community – in our world. Instead of being wrapped up in the trivial issues of life that come and go, we should be as mission-minded as Maggie. That’s the honest truth.

Dear God, please break my heart wide open. Please help me keep the main thing the main thing. Open my eyes. Open my heart. I’ve got work to do.

🎼Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom’s cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

🎼

“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 (KJV)

This past summer I have noticed a reoccurring theme surrounding everything I’ve read, listened to, and studied.

That theme is love.

I find it fitting (and exciting) that my church’s verse for this month is John 13:35 which states, “By this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Something crucial to remember:

Love doesn’t come easy for everyone. Love doesn’t come easy because some people have never experienced it – they’ve never been shown how to love or how to be loved.

It’s up to us, guys. It’s up to us to be the love that they’ve never seen. It’s up to us to seek out people that have never been loved and do just that – simply love them.

No matter what.

Conditions. We all have them.

My terms. My requirements.

God, I will do this for you, but not this.

God, do this for me but please don’t do this.

God, I will serve you here but not here.

God, I will stop this sin but not this one.

God, I will forgive this person but not this one.

God, ask me to do this but not this.

Oh, Daisy. I couldn’t see that placing conditions on God was a lack of faith. I was essentially saying, “I don’t trust you with my well-being.”

I know. It took me many years to figure out what true, unconditional love meant. God always knew. He always loved me unconditionally – in spite of the conditions I was placing on Him.

The more I dug into His word, the more I aligned myself with Him, the more I worshipped Him, the more I saw what true love meant – and the walls came crashing down.

No more terms.

No more requirements.

No more barriers.

No more walls.

Just love.

Pure, unconditional love.

And when that happens, when you get to that point, get ready. Get ready for the best relationship you will ever have. Get ready to be showered in love every minute of every day.

Get ready. Let God love you. On His terms – not yours.

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:16

Holy moly, y’all.

I knicked the top of my pinky finger. Like the skin is peeled completely off of it. TMI – I know. I am not trying to be a crybaby, but it for real hurts.

Normally I wouldn’t write or even talk about something so minor, but I got to thinking – is it minor?

Every move I’ve made the last two days is a constant reminder that something’s not quite right with my body. Every single time my pinky comes into contact with something else, throbbing pain shoots up my entire arm.

This tiny, insignificant knick is seriously affecting my every move. Isn’t that just like sin? What we think is the smallest of all iniquities can seriously affect our every move – whether we believe it or not.

We have to be on guard, guys. We have to protect ourselves from anything that could cause us harm – no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.

A tiny knick could lead to a serious infection of the soul, the mind, or the heart. A tiny knick can leave you in pain from the time you wake up till the time you go to sleep.

Protect yourself. Be on guard. Don’t think that something is too small to change how you’re functioning on a day to day basis.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:12 (ESV)

We are all essentially one episode away from being a full-blown Fixer Upper.

We’re rusty. Falling apart. We are misaligned, uneven, displaced, and oftentimes separated. The lack of a good foundation has cracks creeping up from the floor to the ceiling.

What’s going to happen when a torrential downpour hits? What’s going to happen when the wind blows a little harder than it normally does?

It’s time to renovate our souls, y’all. We need to be filled in and lifted up. We need to strategize and prioritize.

I know of a carpenter that specializes in restoring souls, and I’ve got Him on speed-dial. He’s good at what He does. The best.

I can give you this guarantee, when He’s done repairing and refurbishing you from the inside out, you will be sturdier than ever before. You will be able to withstand the storms of life because of the solid foundation He has provided you with. You may bend, but you will never break.

The blueprints are ready; you just need to sign on that dotted line.

It’s Demo Day, y’all!

“24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” Matthew 7:24-25 (NLT)

If you’re smack dab in the middle of what seems to be a hopeless situation – you best bet that the devil is on the prowl.

Don’t you believe that nonsense. Nothing is impossible with God. He says it time and time again throughout His word. Miracle after miracle He shows His mighty power.

Don’t you believe the lie that a situation is hopeless. Pray like you’ve never prayed before. Step up, step out, and be bold.

My God parted the Red Sea.

He gave Lazarus life again.

He gave a blind man vision.

He gave Rahab a second chance.

My God rolled the stone away.

My God cares about you, and He cares about me. That’s why I’m so adamant about the power of prayer and aligning my every thought with His word.

Claim God’s miracle and don’t let any thing change your mind. Doubt is a coward, and he loves company. Don’t invite him for a cup of coffee. He doesn’t deserve a place at your table.

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4

Y’all know what’s easy? Giving a compliment.

Y’all know what’s powerful? Giving a compliment.

One little compliment can change someone’s day. Someone’s week. Someone’s life.

So why not? Why not potentially change the path of someone’s life? Why not lift someone up out of the pit that they are submerged deep within? If God has given each one of us individually that much power, why are we not utilizing it?

Speak words of love.

Speak words of hope.

Speak words of peace.

Words of grace.

Words of mercy.

Speak life-changing, soul-cleansing, faith-filled words of affirmation.

Why not?

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24