There have always been bullies in the world. I’ve been trying to figure out how the cruel, mean, hateful actions of others seem to have much more devastating results more often these days than they did years ago. Part of me wonders if it’s because everything is headline news now whereas before social media, it was confined to word of mouth gossip or nasty note passing campaigns. Or maybe the results were as horrible then as they are now but we didn’t learn of suicides and mass shootings for such things because news didn’t travel as fast. Or maybe…just maybe…there wasn’t as much bullying because more kids were raised in church with biblical principles and parents were less likely to spare the rod when they misbehaved. And maybe the victims of bullying didn’t feel like they were all alone in a world full of people that hated them because they knew that no matter what, God was with them and would never leave them or forsake them because they accepted Him. Perhaps the world had more love in it back then because it allowed more God in it. Perhaps marriages succeeded more often because they were based on biblical principles rather than worldly desires. Maybe…just maybe…if we would let God back into families…back into our children…back into our government…back into our schools…back into our work….back into every portion of our lives…then maybe there would be so much love in the world that evil would cease to exist. Because evil is the absence of God and cannot exist when God is present.

I made homemade chocolate chip cookies yesterday. I’ve baked them dozens of times but I still look at the recipe so I don’t forget anything or measure wrong. Life is full of steps and measurements. There are ingredients that benefit our life and some that leave a bad taste. You can go through life not following a recipe and in turn make a lot of bad cookies or you can follow the recipe that Jesus left for you. The bible has everything you need to know. It has the recipe for a perfect life within its pages. But you have to follow it. Problem is, too often if we decide we don’t necessarily like one of the ingredients…or we think it’s gonna be too hard or too much trouble to get…so we decide to leave it out. But for an abundant life, you must follow the recipe of God’s word…just like you follow a recipe to make a good homemade chocolate chip cookie. Complete and in full.

I just watched a video that a school did to support someone with cancer. It was really touching & I bawled like a baby. We are so very fortunate that we live in this community. We rally together to support those with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. We pray long and hard for friends and loved ones who are fighting for their lives. We collect donations, run marathons, sell chili, have pie auctions, add them to prayer lists…anything and everything we can to support them and try to extend their earthly life. And all of these things are wonderful! But what are we doing about their eternal life? Do we pray as hard for the healing of their soul as we do the healing of their body? Do we invite them to come to church with us? Do we tell them about Jesus? The one thing that they need to have life more abundant and we fail to discuss that with them. So maybe in addition to all the wonderful acts of kindness that we do….maybe we could offer them a drink of water.

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:9-11 NKJV

Spring’s abloom with flowers of faith!! On this 13th day I’ve been feeling overwhelmed. We want so badly to be everything for everybody that we end up exhausted with no time for “us”. So my flower of faith to you is, “Let God guide you to do what you can but listen to Him when He tells you to stop and glory in His beautiful creations & smell the roses.”

Spring’s abloom with flowers of faith!! On this 12th day of May, I was thinking how I was not as prayerful last week as I should have been and how my “excuse” was that it was such a rough week between kids, activities, and not feeling well, that I was just trying to survive it. Then it occurred to me that perhaps if I had been as prayerful as I should have been then just maybe my week wouldn’t have been so rough. So my flower of faith today is that when it’s hardest to pray, that’s when we need to pray the hardest.

While I know it’s a day early, I also know that we will be crazy busy tomorrow so I want to say happy mothers say to all the moms, mom-in-laws, step-moms, grand moms, single dads that are moms too, aunts that are like moms, mothers in Christ, adoptive moms, and anyone else who has put a child’s needs or desires before her or his own. For all those who are there for a child…not when it’s convenient…but when they have a million other things they need to do but nothing more important than being there for that child. For everyone that loves and cares for not only a child’s earthly needs but guides them on the path to righteousness because they know that it is truly the most important part of life. For all those who have not simply accepted an obligation but rather rose to the challenge and enthusiastically put their best effort into one of the most important tasks that God could ever bless us with! May God bless you all this Mother’s Day!

Spring’s abloom with flowers of faith!! On this 8th day, I worry about how some just can’t seem to grasp the importance of certain situations. And then I think about the shape our world is in & realize that there are soooo many that don’t see that, at the moment of Christ’a return, it’s too late. He wants us to choose Him now because at some point wether it be our death or His return, then we are out of time. I don’t think a twinkling of an eye is enough time for repentance. So that’s my flower of faith to you today. If you died today….which direction would you go? And if you’re not sure or you “think” you know…if you’re not absolutely positive….you better do some serious thinking.

(Flashback from 2013)

Spring’s abloom with flowers of faith!! On this 7th day of May, I’ve been thinking about how when I drive to work most mornings, I say a little prayer. Monday I had a feeling it was going to be a rough week and prayed a little harder than usual asking God to guide my actions, thoughts, and decisions. And thank goodness because although its only Tuesday, I’ve already had more stress than I usually have in an entire month! But He has not left me. In fact, He has carried me through. So when you feel a little voice telling you to say an extra prayer, it is actually God saying, “Ask Me. I can do all things.”

That is my flower of faith for you today. Never quench the Holy Spirit when He is telling you to pray and to lay your burdens on the Father.

Have you ever noticed that when someone else is doing something wrong, that your fingers automatically point at them? It’s odd especially since when YOU’ve done something that you think is right, those same fingers point at yourself. I know this because for some reason, God put my fingers an arms length away so that it’s pretty easy for me to see which direction they are pointing. He’s tricky like that…lol. Unfortunately, although they are easily in my eyesight, and although He made my body with the perfect combination of muscles, nerves, joints, bones, tendons, and everything else that make me physically capable of controlling my movements….I still have trouble controlling those silly fingers. (Don’t even get me started on controlling my tongue…one body part at a time…lol). The fact is that when I see someone on the wrong path, I need to pray for them. And when I’ve done something good, I need to give God the glory because He is the one that did it through me. In other words….it’s ok to point your fingers in all situations….as long as they’re pointing to God.

Springs abloom with flowers of faith!! On this 2nd day of May, I’ve been thinking about how it’s so important for Christians to wear their armor of God every single minute of every day. Seems like there is always someone just waiting for Christians to mess up so they can validate their excuse for not going to church with “those hypocrites”. I saw a saying a couple of weeks ago that I thought said it pretty well. It said that church is not a museum for saints, but rather a hospital for sinners. I go to church because I need spiritual fuel to get me thru the week…to be surrounded by other Christians who love and support me…to worship my Lord and Savior…but mainly because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’m a sinner and that the only difference between me and anyone who is not a Christian is that I am saved by the blood of Jesus. And here’s something to think about…if you allow a “hypocrite” to stand between you and God, they are closer to God than you are….