Laying Your Life Down

I know what your thinking I would lay my life down for my brother, mother, boyfriend, girlfriend and the list could go on and on. As much as we could comprehend that phrase we would. The year was 1989, and I gave birth to twins. They were three months early so this is where another part of my journey begins of me laying down my life. I had no idea at the time of their birth what would transpire over the next twenty one years. All I knew was that ever since I was a little girl I wanted children. I wanted the best life that I could give them. Since they were premature there was all kinds of complications. My son came home on a ventilator and heart monitor. My daughter had a mild case of cerebral palsy.  The doctors told me all kinds of facts about premature children. I was determined for them to have the best life possible.

Let's go forward twenty one years. My son drives and is expecting his first child in May. My daughter is in her third year of college. She has been in a wheelchair for the past few years, which has been a tough road for both of us. I commute her back and forth to college. Laying your life down means what it says. You lay down your life every day for someone else. At times it has not been easy, but that didn't mean I gave up on my son or daughter. That just means I died to what I wanted even more.

 It says in the Bible to live is to die.  In doing this I have learned how to love on a whole different level.  All the fruits of the Spirit have went to a whole new level in my life.  When I talk about fruits of the Spirit I am talking about patience, love, my time and the list goes on. How much patience would you have if you didn't see any results six months or even a year? I have been in this place. I'm stretched everyday, and which is a good thing because it means I can keep on growing.

God sent his son to lay down his life for us. How much more should we lay our lives down for our brothers and sisters in Christ. I challenge you this week to examine yourself to see how you are laying your lives down.  

My Idea Of Perfection

We all have our own preconceived ideas about perfection.  The perfect body, house, kids and the lists go on and on.  I have been having some painting done in my house.  I have noticed as one wall gets finished I find something else that needs perfecting.  Isn't that just like us as human beings?

I have been trying to lose a certain amount of weight around my mid-section.  It has been about a year now, and I am getting it almost to where I want it.  So now I am working growing my hair longer.  As I was looking at my hair, a thought popped in my head to just tuck it behind my ears, so I did and it looked ok.  All day yesterday I kept going by the mirror to see if I thought it looked okay.  Even though I have had several compliments about it, I was the one with the image problem.  Yes, you heard me right I have a image problem. 

Like most of us, we are not sure of ourselves or have insecurities lurking in the back of our mind.  I know I do.  In the past, I would not have admitted this, but I think by dealing with what is on the inside of me I can get to the real problem. That would be just to love myself the way God loves me.  He sees me already perfect and if I can ever see the way He sees me.  Well, that would be great.  Perfection to God is totally different than what we know.  Gal.  5:22- talks a little about Fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, long suffering, patience, and a few others. 

Take time today and see yourself as love, joy, peace, kind.  See if this doesn't change the way you think about perfection. 

What about me?

Photo Credit:  Lenay Glover of LG Photography


Sometimes we are like the baby in the picture.  We want what we want, when we want it.
Have you ever made that statement? What about me? I have.  If I do something for you in return.   Ummmm--What's in it for me?  We may not come right out and say it, but in our subconscious we think it.  Just a thought what if we just did things without wanting anything in return.  Now, that would be a mindset change. Think of when a  child wants to please the ones he loves.  We need to be more like this with God.
A child wants to be loved for who they are --not what they can do for us.  What if we all looked at All human beings  that way.  What a better world we could be creating! 

Puzzle Of Our Lives Part4

Just like the puzzle of our lives I thought I was almost done. A few more pieces I thought to myself. I put another piece of the puzzle in, it looked like it fit perfectly. I looked again and its out of line just alittle. I took it out and flipped it and wouldn't you know it fit right into place. I have come to the conclusion about the puzzle of my life, it will always be changing as I continue to become more like Jesus.