Rise and Shine!

When life punches you in the face, kicks you in the teeth, and drags you down the street, PLEASE REMEMBER...God uses PURPOSE as the alarm clock that wakes you up each morning.

At each new day, tell the Lord "Thank You for another chance to get it right!" I read a quote the other day that said, "If you quit before you get it, then you never deserved it."

That's it...love you all! Keep stirring!

Perfectly Imperfect People

Sometime ago, one of my daughters broke a mirror (I still don't know which one did it, so everyone got in trouble...LOL) and while they did their best sweep job to clean it up, there were those tiny little glass splints scattered around on the floor.  You know, the ones you can barely see but you feel them as soon as you walk through the house barefoot in the middle of the night?

Friends, I want you to go to the mirror of your mind for a moment.  What do you see?  Is the reflection clearly you?  I mean, are there so many cracks in the glass that you can barely recognize yourself because the image is so distorted?  Is the mirror whole or is it broken up into many little pieces?

Throughout my life, even today, I've witnessed so many broken people trying desperately to sweep their "glass splints" under the rug.  Their goal is to never allow others to see their flaws.  But, it never fails, somehow a moment happens when everyone realizes that they missed a spot.  OUCH!! The splint jabs them in the foot and they expose who they really are.

Trying to appear as perfect is too much pressure.  God knows what to do with our brokenness.  He is the good parent who will sweep up the pieces we've left behind.  And for the record, it is impossible to impress Him because He is the one who is perfect.  Although we discussed last week about being beautiful antiques, we are perfectly imperfect.  Remember, "He beautifies the meek with salvation".

So instead of saying, "Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all."  Try this little prayer that the Lord gave me today...

Holy Spirit inside of me, search my heart so that I may be
A reflection of what's good and true; surrendered in this life for You.

Humility works...stay blessed!

Beautiful Antique or Worthless Knick Knack?

I have a confession to make...I love storage auction shows!  I am so intrigued by rare antiques and how they bring beauty and value to a home or space.  Knick-knacks, on the other hand, may be beautiful but they hold no worth outside of the manufacturer's retail price.

Have you ever wondered what makes an antique so valuable?  In the "age of knock-offs", the depth of an antique is housed in its history.  It's amazing how collectors nurture and carefully handle an antique, even sometimes using white gloves, but the aged dents and markings or "scars" of the item are left alone because they represent the labor that this beautiful piece has contributed to time.

The anointing that is on your life should be viewed and treated the same way.  What is your gift and are you expressing it in a way that brings honor and beauty to God and your family?  The best parts of you are the scars of your heart.  The experiences that brought them are what makes you the beautiful antique you are today.

You are necessary, you are valuable and you are definitely NOT a knock-off.  You are the original you! Know your worth. God does and He is the collector and creator of beautiful things. Be blessed.