60 SECOND STACY-FIGURE IT OUT

Life in college can be very difficult my friends. We’re away from family and figuring out who we are and what we find our identity in. It’s so easy to get swept up into schoolwork or other things in our lives. We get into our schedules and routines and run from place to place. Our time is filled and it’s hard to remember to take breaks, take a breath and focus on our God. It’s the easiest thing in the world to focus on everything we have to do, the stresses in our lives, money, or family/friend problems.

            I was sitting in my bed one day and opened up my bible to Genesis. There’s a story about Jacob after he left home because he was going to find a wife and Esau was angry with him for stealing the blessing intended for him from their father. Jacob was alone and wandering, he was lost and in a dark place. He used a stone as a pillow and slept. I don’t know about you guys, but that sounds like a low point to me. But he dreams about Heaven and angels and the Lord looks down at him and promises to watch him and tell him that he will always be with him. The thing that stuck out to me was what Jacob does next, he wakes up and thinks to himself, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven” Genesis 28:16-17.

            What a simple and life-changing way to think. When all is going wrong, when you are making mistakes and you feel alone and tired, God is there. How different would we live if wherever we went and whatever we did we thought, “Surely God is in this place”. When I read these words I was overcome with joy. I knew that God promised to always be with us, but for Jacob to be in the place he is and to think about how awesome it was only because God’s presence, is very beautiful. 

            I challenge you to carry these words around with you when life gets busy, hard or seems mundane. Whatever is going on, to simply remember that the God of the universe is with you and you are on holy ground, I think if we thought like this that we would live differently and make different choices. 

60 SECOND LAINE-LEGIT

I sat down to meet the funeral officiate and she began by saying I know your mom was a Christian and I have her bible and I will be honoring her legacy.

I could hardly breath. In my grieving I had not been able to start planning. But God did! The plans to honor my mom was already in motion. I did not have to do a thing. God had it all. The bible was read and her heritage was completely covered.

What a great gift. Sometimes God knows we don't even have to ask. He knew my heart. I had been praying that morning only for me. For me to be able to get up and go to the planning meeting. I just kept saying I can't do this. I can't see my that way.

Yet I sat there in the room with God determined to sense His peace. Determined to work this out with Him.

Blessed are those who are mourning for the will be comforted. (Oh God, how? How will I be comforted?) A promise of Jesus came to mind, "You can do anything with me." I quieted down and sat with that truth. I feel stronger and I can with You. I can were the words of my heart. I can with You. I can go with You. 

I went in the strength of the Lord. Everything was  okay but many more gifts were in store. Like the angelic peaceful disposition of my mom. Oh what a gift! Oh what a gift of the funeral officiate. I never would have imagined such a beautiful way to say good-bye till we meet again.

Please remember we grieve over many things in life and it is legit. It is the death of a job, empty nesting, end of a friendship or relationship, lost of bodily functions (that would mean we have to quit a sport or exercise), moving....you name it.

Remember God hasn't left you. He sees and knows it all.  He's is faithful to see you through it. He will do it!

You can do it with Him. LEGIT help is on the way!

60 SECOND LAINE-CONFIRMATION-FLOW 2

Making space and time to finding my truth.

Pen in hand I began to journal with thought to obtain clarity for my circumstances right now.

What unexpectedly happened is my journaling led to a realization...I'm living in a great place for now (enjoy it), the bills are getting paid (miraculously), my job is okay, I visited with my grandson yesterday and it was nothing short of FUN!

The grandson thing I have to expound on. My son moved recently and it was nerve wrecking picturing him not being a mile away, like he was. I mean great convenience, right? I just had to give the move sometime and go with the flow. (I'm continuing the go with the flow thought process from a previous posting.) My calendar and time cleared yesterday and they were available for a visit. It was a beautiful day and my two grandsons (3 year plus and 10 month). Played ball on the porch, used the brand new pooper scooper to well...get all the dog poop picked up off the yard...many laughs there. The 10 month old in hand with the scooper in the other I scooped and the 3 year old used the rack to plop the poop in the scooper. The ten month old never peeped a word he definitely went along for the stroll and humor and my constant yelp "Look at the bird, hear him? He goes tweet, tweet, tweet!"

As I stepped out of the house to leave it happened...the greatest sound ever...1 block over was the ice cream man!!! I yelled to the family and a big bonus of the day happened, the 3 year old did not remember what the ice cream man or even the truck meant. It was so exciting! I got to see his excited face as the truck pulled to the curb and we selected our items, took a picture and of course began to eat! The unexpected joy moments, gotta love them.

Alright buddy, you're right, this one's gonna be longer than 60 seconds.

Getting back to the journaling...count your blessings. Really that simple! My tip to get through the moments in life. Put your seat belt on and count your blessings. That's all I got.

That realization came yesterday so today I am doing a tutorial on Linkedin called embracing changes and point number two of making change  work for us is...Count your blessings.

This is a confirmation of clarity that I needed; my thought plus a secular site equals... slow down embrace the change...things are gonna work out...I'm  gonna flow with it! What ended up happening is I came to a conclusion that even though I don't have an answer on my next vocational journey or the place my husband and I will live in, truth reigned. My life couldn't really be better.

60 SECOND LAINE-QUE SERA, SERA

As I stood on the bridge and watched the two ducks float with the flow of the stream below me it occurred to me that they were not even trying to resist the flow, they just peacefully drifted. It all happened so fast because the stream was quite steady. I pictured in my mind the carnival days when I picked a duck floating in the little pool they had set up. They too just floated around a circle driven by a water pump that circulated the water. Also, the memory of me on a tube drifting down a lazy river, my feet up so I could go faster. All of this brought me peace. FLOWING! My mouth declared "Flow, I want to flow! God how do I flow?" My work, my ministry, my relationships....flow. This song pops in my head. Whatever will be will be by Doris Day (if you don't know who she is that makes me feel old) comes to mind right now Que Sera, Sera...Whatever will be will...the future is not ours to see. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZbKHDPPrrc

After seeing the ducks it has been my prayer to "Go with the flow."

That takes a little bit of faith and whole lot of trust.

Trust God from the bottom of my heart.

There use to be good size hill in my neighborhood that I grew up in. A street went down it. I would ride my bike 7-8 blocks from my house to get there and at the top I could not wait to lift my feet and soar down it! Or today there is a rather large hill at the Arboretum that I ride my bike down and I lift my feet and soar. The wind blowing my hair back and it feels so good. It's my happy place. I found it as a child and I find it now. Where is your happy place. A place to drift and let go. I have to trust and go for it and soar!

I'm kind of all over the place in this 60 second Laine but I think what God is saying to us today is some kind of invitation or beckoning himself to Him. When we find our happy spot it's like a sweet spot we can spend with Him. A place of rest and peace. Ask for refreshment so you build up a reservoir to "Go with the flow!"

Que Sera, Sera. If you aren't familiar with this old song click above and find your happy spot.

Whatever will be will be...the future is not ours to see.

60 SECOND LAINE-JOLTED

He said, she said...they said...so many opinions from so many people as to why things weren't changing. Why was things not working out? I prayed...my close friends have been praying.

Can you relate? So many thoughts about the dilemma I was experiencing.

I stopped because I had done it again. I was jolted!

The image of a storm rising and I am being tossed around. Finally I yell out Jesus. He's right there and he says "I'm right here. Come to me. It's gonna be okay. Trust me. Sit with me. Quiet down."

Jesus "I'm struggling each time he says and then she says, it's hard to stop being jolted. Yet you ask me to sit still and not be jolted. I'm failing you." His response "I'll always love you thanks for recognizing you shortcomings. Let's just sit here for a while. Do not be afraid."

There is no shame in being jolted. It's life. The fact that we can sit and come back to be grounded by Jesus. 

Guys and gals, when jolted don't take on shame. We can get back to trusting again and it will be okay.

Decree a simple I'm sorry and then move on.

#findyourinnerbeinggrounded

Just a side note there is an essential oil blend called Being centered or grounded.  LOL! Really? Just give me Jesus any day. 

60 SECOND LAINE-A EASTER STORY

"L'amour de Dieu est folie!" declared Brennan Manning, author of The Ragamuffin Gospel. He suggests "Should you ever have the opportunity to celebrate Easter in France, (where he lived for six months)You will see one phrase written on the walls of buildings or the sides of buses in script or black print. You will hear the one phrase sung, chanted, and recited in the churches; you will hear it exchanged as an Easter greeting as people pass on the street. It means, THE LOVE OF GOD IS FOLLY.

Webster defines folly-the lack of good sense or normal prudence.

Well of course!

My mind is finite. Many have trouble saying the gospel and our eternal security is simply Christ's passion on the cross. A man dying. In the natural if someone was to say a man willingly went to the cross he didn't even defend himself. Someone would respond "Isn't that dumb or weird, folly!"?

Why? Because we look for our eternal security through the flesh which is following "Law". At least some of us struggle with that. It's takes faith to understand grace.
Brennan says "If a man was given $100,000 dollars and the lender says pay it back in a year interest free. After a year the man starts to pay it back $10,000 per month. But just as he puts the check in the mail a check arrives in the mail to him for $10,000. He can't pay it back. 
We can't pay God back for what He did with his son Jesus.

It's FOLLY! Who can understand a gift like that?

Today take a moment to remember the Easter Story and say "The Love of God is folly!
Amen. Declare the greatest act of love!

It puts things into perspective for the Easter Season, truly! Jesus love puts life as a whole in perspective.

#findyourinnerEastermeaning