A Letter To My 16 Year Old Self

As I look at the above photo of these beautiful young women whom I have known since they were  teeny tiny... I think about being 16 again. I think about all the hopes and dreams that were in my heart at that stage in life and I wish I could have known some things that I know now. So I'm going to write a letter to my 16 year old self in hopes that some young girls out there might benefit from what this almost 40 year old woman knows now. 



Dear Noël,
I would first just like to tell you that you are beautiful. You don't need to drink Slim Fast shakes to get skinny, and you don't need to be ashamed of your beauty or wear clothes to hide it. You are NOT fat!! You and your mind, body, and soul are a gift. Your voice may be quiet, but it is being heard. People are paying attention to the life choices you are making. Without even saying a word you are making a difference. Don't grow tired or weary of doing what you know is right.   Your heart is sensitive and your prayers are building your future. God has you hidden right now that's why the cute boy down the hall that you have a crush on is not paying attention to you. But there will come a day when his head will turn and love will be awakened and you will see all these years that the Lover of your Soul has been perfecting that which you are concerned about. 
God has brought people into your life right now that will later become your family. Treasure them. Don't take their love and devotion for granted, and don't forget to tell them Thank You for being there for you.
Stop. Look. And pay attention to your Mom and Dad and your siblings that are still under one roof right now. This will not always be. Remember these are your life's BEST FRIENDS. Do the dishes for your mom, you have NO idea how much this will bless her. Thank your dad for working so hard to provide for his family, and thank him for all the countless times he picks you up and drops you off to work. Squeeze your brother Greg so hard with a Hug so big that he won't ever forget you LOVE him. Let your little sister Gina come in your room and do something fun with her so she too will remember that you LOVE her. 
As far as going off to college don't worry so much about how, and where you will go. These are things that are already figured out. Live in the NOW. Be in the moment and not so far off in the future that you forget what is really important. 
Those dates that you go on with Jesus, keep those up. HE loves these precious times with you, and you will not have as many opportunities to sneak away like that in your future. 
Have Fun, Be A Kid, and you should probably know that the moon doesn't just turn on. This will save you from some embarrassing moments ahead. 

It's all going to be O.K.  You really can Trust in God for all of this and SO, so, so much more.
Your almost 40 year old self

God Is Good

I've got one hour to snuggle up with you, Beloved reader. I've got my cup of coffee in a cute little birdy cup that I found at the Salvation Army yesterday, and my brain is full of topics to talk about, and in the end I think we should have a toast. Be thinking about what it is we should toast with our drinks in hand. Yours might be wine by the time you read this or it might be a smoothie tomorrow morning, but I feel a toast coming on. 

Let's start this conversation off with this quote;
"God is great in minuteness as He is in Magnitude."
This is an anonymous quote. The first time I read this I giggled out loud aka GOL'd.  Get it?   Instead of LOL'd I GOL'd.  Ok that wasn't funny. Moving on. I GOL'd because I read the word minuteness wrong. I thought the writer made up a a new word like minute to minute, hour by hour, minute-ness.  Then I realized when I read it again that I just don't know how to read apparently, which made me LOL.
After GOL-ing and LOL-ing this quote also made me remember going to Foursquare church camps where at the end or beginning of most church services someone would say; "GOD IS GOOD" and then the kids would reply "ALL THE TIME" and back and forth the chant would go. 
It made me thankful that I have this perspective about God, because I know some people don't think He is good. But He really is so good, and wanting to be so involved in our everyday lives.   In the minuteness of them. And the Magnitude of them. In the good times and the bad. In our quiet moments  and the loud excited ones too.
This really hit home yesterday, when I was doing some shopping at said thrift store, where I found that little cute mug up there, I realized once again how very true this quote is.
You see even in shopping God meets me in the minuteness of finding a coffee mug so cute, and so unique, and so on sale ... that I know it was intended just for me.   Do you know that even when I'm shopping I feel there are special bargains that I find only because God is looking out for me? That might seem silly to some of you who are thinking more that God should be paying attention to all the worlds tragedies and not finding bargains for his kids, but that's just where you are wrong. Somehow, God is able to do it all.  That's what the above quote speaks to me. 
I know He cares about the fact that I'm trying to raise a family on a limited budget and still be resourceful, and shop at second hand stores. Quite often the very thing I need to be shopping for will end up being on sale. Like yesterday the color at the thrift store that I go to was Grey. Now, anyone who has shopped Savers or Value Village knows those colors are important. They make it so that what ever color it is that day will be 50% off. That's quite the savings on something that is already cheaper because it's used. So Grey was the color and I kid you not everything I picked up was tagged with a Grey tag.  How cool is that?  It was a reminder to me that even in little things God cares and is moving in my life, if only I have eyes and ears to see and hear.  It's not just finding cute coffee mugs on sale that God is so good for. In the moments of this life where I just don't understand the pain and suffering, the sickness and sadness, the despair and darkness that can sometimes cloud over this world... HE IS THERE. He reminds me that this world is passing away and someday HE will answer every question and wipe away every tear from every eye.  HE right NOW is preparing that place. And in the meantime, only HE can provide some heaven on earth for me, and I'm beyond blessed to have Him in every moment of my life.

"I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too- your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful - I can't take it all in! " Psalm 139:5-6
With that being said, I think it's only right that we Toast to the God of the universe ... Who's with me? Raise your glass... To Yahweh  Who is always, always, always Good. Who never fails. Never gives up. Never slumbers nor sleeps on the job.   HE is worth all our glasses raised don't ya think?
Cha Ching!!!

This Little Light of Mine

I love days like today. It is perfectly grey outside right now, and feels like rain is on the horizon. Not that, that is any big deal because...Well, rain is usually on the horizon here it is Washington after all but this is a rabbit trail and I am now getting back to what I wanted to talk about. This kind of day makes the colors of green that surround this place stand out even more. The beautiful and bright colors from flowers explode with brightness on a day like today.
On my walk today this is what the grey reminded me of, follow me as I process out loud;

It reminds me of what Jesus says about our light's that shine. They can't be hidden. When the world around us is so grey and morose, no matter how we try to disguise the light with-in it can't be done.



Which makes me think about all the times in the past when I have met someone for the very first time, and I know, that I know they have that light within them. How is it that I know that?
I think it has something to do with days like today. When everything else is grey it's easy to spot the colors. The colors can't help but stand out.



Then I get to thinking about the song, "This Little Light of Mine" that we teach our children. The part about "Won't let Satan blow it out, NO I am going to let it shine" makes me wonder how is it that some of us have let our lights go out? I mean, I know that from time to time mine has gotten very, very dim, and I know those were times that I wasn't standing close enough to the Son/Sun to have His reflective image bounce off of me. But to be completely blown out, that would take some blowing. Some huffing and puffing, to blow this house down. Okay, now I am just getting silly... but you get what I mean.




I have let my light get dim in the recent past. I want to learn from that time and hopefully not let it happen again. I think it comes from staying on the vine with branches or something like that ?

Please enjoy some of my most favorite photo booth shots.

Times are Tough, God is bigger

It is good for me to remember (and maybe for you too) when times are tough that the Creator is bigger, so much bigger than the trials, economy, health situations, wars, earthquakes, and all that is in this world before me right now. In reading My Utmost for His Highest (still my favorite book to remind me everyday of important things) good ol Oswald had this to say;

“Nature to a saint is sacramental. If we are children of God, we have
a tremendous treasure in Nature. In every wind that blows, in every
night and day of the year, in every sign of the sky, in every
blossoming and in every withering of the earth, there is a real
coming of God to us if we will simply use our starved imagination to
realize it.” Oswald Chambers



It is important for me to step outside and get rejuvenated by creation and the Creator. Sometimes my imagination does get starved. It is hungry for something more.


Isaiah 40:26

“Lift up your eyes on high and see! Who has created these? He who calls them by name; through the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing or lacks anything.”



I am beyond grateful that greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world. I am thankful that someone knows my name. Knows my strengths and weaknesses. Knows my needs. He knows my needs and in that I rest secured.



I don't know where you are at in life but if you are in need of a boost don't forget to look around next time you step outside. Although it is winter right now and all the colors of summer are a thing of the past maybe if you look close enough there might be the signs of life like a bud on a tree, or a little sprouting of the lilies that are to come. Take a moment and remember times are tough, but God is bigger. Remember that although nature might lie dormant right now this too shall pass.
There will be life again. And remember like the rising of the sun that you count on everyday, you can count on the FACT that the Creator loves to give life to what once was dead. Speak to the dry bones in your life. Speak to the death that surrounds you and then sit back and watch as He who is faithful turns death to life. Winter to Spring. Sorrow into laughter.

This was me speaking to my dry bones.