Let me fill your social media feed with this good news today ——>

Jesus was sent to turn rejected into:

Restored

Rejuvenated

Refreshed

Revived

Redirected

Resurrected

That’s good news. I don’t know about y’all but I would love to be any of those words today. Rejuvenated sounds pretty amazing after the year Southeast Texas has had.

So get excited, y’all. Get excited because God is in fact working in your life, and He is with you every single day. He wants to bring restoration and refreshing and redirection – let Him.

“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” – Acts 3:19-22

Negativity surrounds us. This world is full of it. How can we as Christians combat the daily gloom and doom that’s trying to suck us into a lifestyle of dismal hope and unbelief in all that’s good?

By remembering the word.

By standing on God’s promises.

By seeing the big picture.

By remembering that God in fact wins.

By believing and professing what we know is true and noble and right and perfect.

Sometimes things are going to happen that just downright stink. Some days are going to be harder than others; however, we can’t let the bad days define the good days. We can’t let the bad things define who we are in God.

I know the end of this story, and it’s good. It’s really good. That what I choose to focus on.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8

Only God can bring sustainable peace and comfort. Other things may provide temporary relief, a bandaid per se, but that’s all it is – temporary.

Bandaids don’t stick forever. They become gummy or damp and lose their ability to stay on the wound, which can potentially contaminate our bloodstream – AKA a direct line to our heart.

Infection sets in and just like that we are fighting a much bigger ailment. We are fighting an infirmity that could have been prevented. Humans are stubborn like that. We tend to try and fix things ourselves instead of going straight to the doctor.

So today let’s try and remember that whatever hurt we are trying to cover up – whatever wound we are trying to heal on our own – the one true way to recovery is by exposing it to God. Open up your heart and give Him the ok to come inside and take care of business.

If you want to be healed – if you want the pain and infection to stop taking over – then let God do His job. He is the great physician.

“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.” ~ Proverbs 4:20-22

Dear God,

Today I pray for healing. Please reveal to me the wounds deep inside of my heart that are in desperate need of your healing touch. I don’t want to just slap on a bandaid and move on. I know that when I do that the pain will only fester. Thank you for your healing power. Amen.

In my neck of the woods the word commute is a common word – a daily endeavor. It’s a way of life.

Every day we make the same journey. We travel the same long, country roads – often pointing toward Interstate 10 – just to get to where we need to be.

Getting to college or work – even the grocery store – is a time consuming task when you live in the country. But let’s face it, it’s a very necessary task if we want an education, if we want to pay our bills, or if we want to eat.

In all honesty most of us chose this way of life because the drive back home after a long and tiring day is worth it. The traffic, the potholes, the price of gas, and every other stressor of the day melt away when our vehicle pulls onto that old, gravel road surrounded by trees. The lake, the deer, the birds – it’s our sanctuary.

When we finally pull into that driveway and we are finally home, nestled into the serene way of life that our soul craves, we know without a doubt that the daily journey is worth it.

Because we are home.

And no matter what it took to get home – we will do it again day in and day out. For the tranquility. For the peace of mind. For the love that surrounds us at home. The commute is a necessity. The journey, though often hard, is the driving force that keeps us going.

Sometimes to get what we want we have to go the distance. To get from point A to point B isn’t always easy. Don’t let the detours, speed bumps, and traffic jams of this life hinder your progress.

How are you going to go the distance for God this week – this month? After a long and weary journey, how are we going to make sure we make it home?

I want to make it home, guys.

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” – Colossians 2:6-7

Something I learned early on as a mother was that the statement “Easy Like Sunday Morning” was a big ol’ lie. Sunday mornings were always frantic, always crazed, and always left me feeling less than.

I came to the realization that I didn’t want my kids to remember Sundays as merely a mad dash to the car in which their mother looked more like a monster than a mom.

Y’all know.

I don’t want my kids to despise Sundays. I want them to look forward to church. So I made a promise to myself a few years back to step up my “mom game” and do whatever it takes to make Sunday mornings go more smoothly.

So I wake up earlier

I play praise and worship music

I keep my mommy attitude in check

I give the kids extra time to wake up

I try and prevent being rushed

We have a simple breakfast

And I stay calm

Doing all that helps this momma keep her sanity. Y’all know the devil wants us running ragged on a Sunday morning. He wants us in so much disarray that we either don’t show up or we show up frazzled and unfocused.

Don’t let him win.

Plan ahead. Stay calm. And don’t go all mommy monster on a Sunday morning. It’s not a fun place to be. I know.

“We wait on the LORD; he is our help and our shield. Indeed, our heart will rejoice in him, because we have placed our trust in his holy name. LORD, may your gracious love be upon us, even as we hope in you.” – Psalm 33:20-22

All other ground is sinking sand.

That’s what I have on my heart today. The only way to stand – feet planted, unshakeable – is if we are standing on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ.

Everything else settles. Everything else shifts. But not Jesus. He has staying power.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to ever settle – entering into a mundane yet shifting lifestyle marked by a compromise of who we truly are in Jesus Christ. I don’t want to shift my feet or my beliefs. I want to stand unyielding. I want to stand steady and stable. I want Jesus.

“6 He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I’m set for life. 7 My help and glory are in God 8 So trust him absolutely, people; lay your lives on the line for him. God is a safe place to be.” Psalm 62:6-8

It’s the end of the school year, y’all.

Parents, teachers, coaches, administration, and students are exhausted – no doubt.

If you live in the area of Texas that Hurricane Harvey hit you’ve lived through one whopper of a school year. This year the storms were bigger, the flu bug was stronger, and the inevitable STAAR test stress still lingered.

Tutorials, ice days, lice days (yep, I said it), field trips, awards, end of the year parties, teacher gifts, STAAR data, summer camps, fundraisers, practices, lesson plans, summer childcare, homework, end of the year projects, packing up classrooms, administrative paperwork – I seriously could keep going.

The struggle is really real.

I’ve said all that to say this – at this point in the 2017-2018 school year we all need a little nap and a whole lotta grace. Grace for ourselves and grace to extend to others.

Guys, it’s been a rough, daunting year. Let’s not forget that. Let’s remember that everyone has their own part in this play called “Life” – most starring in multiple roles.

And even though we are personally worn and weary, let’s lift our heads up and look into the eyes of others.

See their hurt.

See their pain.

See their exhaustion.

Extend a smile.

Extend grace.

Extend a helping hand.

And as we walk away whisper a small prayer.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2

Motherhood.

A tribe of women that together shape the future.

And boy does it take a tribe. That’s the cool thing about motherhood though. We are definitely not alone, and we definitely all bring something different to the table. Thank goodness for all the bonus moms that Maverick & Maggie have.

Moms seriously have each other’s backs, and for that I am so grateful. Some days I’m running ninety to nothing and need all the help I can get. Other days my life is at a much slower pace, which allows me to be the one that can step in and help another mom out – and that balance is so very sweet.

Moms take care of business – no doubt. Sometimes we just need a little help, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It teaches our kids that it’s in fact ok to lean on others. It shows our kids how many people love them unconditionally.

So here’s to my mom, my kids’ bonus moms, and all the other amazing women in my life. May your day be filled with love, chocolate, and an uninterrupted nap.

I thought the following scripture was perfect for moms – short and sweet. It’s what moms do. They love. Thanks Taffy Cook for always loving me. ❤️

“We love because He first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19

Anyone else currently listening to “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury on repeat?

That song gets me pumped, y’all. I literally visualize Jesus as a warrior-ninja running through fire, kicking down walls, and pulling people up out of a pit of miry clay.

Wide-eyed.

Fists clenched.

On a mission.

Because He loves us that much. Because He isn’t letting us go down without a fight.

But what about us? Are we fighting for Him with the same admiration and determination throughout the day, or have we made Jesus a secondary objective – all while the things of this world rival each other for a first place ranking in our heart.

Jesus’ love for us is overwhelming. But our love for Him should be, too.

Jesus’ love for us is never-ending. But our love for Him should be, too.

Reckless. Total abandonment. I want to love Jesus like Jesus loves me.

Let’s fight for Jesus today, y’all.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” – Mark 12:30

Changing yourself from the inside out takes guts. Making the decision to turn away from all the bad you’ve ever known and the sinful nature of human flesh is an overwhelming feat to say the least. Thank God we don’t have to go about it alone.

The magnitude of faith it takes to totally turn your life upside down for a God you just met – courageous.

I hope you know that God can make you brave. I hope you know that God can take the ugly and make it beautiful.

Nothing is impossible for God, and that’s a fact.

He can take whatever situation you’re in, flip the script, and use it for an awesome testimony.

Surrender it all to God today. Rewrite your script.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17