Wake up my Heart!

Note: this is a draft of an old post that I wrote and never published! Today it seemed to need to be posted :) Scripture of the Day: 1 Kings 19:11-13 11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ************* Do you ever have days where you can't see the Lord trying to communicate with you and others when he screams his presence? I have been thinking about these verses the last couple of days. I have been wondering o...

Friends, I am knee deep in the 1 Kings. Well, maybe ankle deep, as this was in Chapter 3. :) Solomon got to make a request to God. And his request was brilliant: "Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong." I read it and was cut to the quick. That is my desire for my kiddo - that he would be discerning and able to distinguish between right and wrong. I've been trying to write about this for a while and failing, so I figured out all I can do is pray about it. Here is a prayer for him - and all our children...no matter their age! Heavenly Father God, please help us lead our children. Through you, help us build a foundation of right and wrong. Help us show our kids how to be discerning. It is a hard world. There seems to be less black and white and more gray. But almost right IS still wrong. God, I'm not sure how to teach my child that. You, however, are the ultimate parent. God, I give you my child. I pray ...

This year for Father's Day I'm going to attempt to lay out what I believe are the love languages of the father figures in my life :) Let's see how I do! *Note, after writing, this has been so fun! If you'd like to take a gander at the love languages of those in your life, and then want to check, here is an on-line quiz:  http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/ First of all, my pops, Tony. Zany and tattooed, buff and bald, to the eye of the beholder he appears one thing. But to those who know his heart, he is quite another! It is not until the past months when I have lived with him that I truly see how much this man loves his children (and everyone). Whether it involves ordering shirts online that fit his kiddos various interests, or delivering freshly popped pop-corn to my brother, or grilling out to provide food for lunches...my dad loves to do things for his kids. And his siblings. And his mom. And his co-workers. And his friends. My dad is an acts of service man. ...

Gotta have Faith! What will it tell you about my life if you know the voice I hear singing that lyric is Fred Durst instead of George Michael? Ahhh. High school! Anywho... Faith is my new favorite topic because I am just glimpsing what it is. My own faith is growing. And because it is growing, my relationship with God is growing. Friends, I started a bible study on the Armor of God (Priscilla Shirer's) earlier this year. And like most studies, I started, but stopped half way through. I stopped right before I got to the shield of faith. Which, crazy enough, was in God's perfect timing because my ideas on faith are drastically different than they were earlier this year. My revelation is this: I had faith. As in "I have faith that God can do _____." The transition is now, "I have faith in God. Period." Friends, I think I finally trust Him :). Or...I trust Him more now than I ever have before. I still freak out sometimes! Silly human that I am. Months...

At points in our lives, our personal advocates change...and sometimes in the change, there is a void. Logically, what should fill the void? Jesus. And what does Jesus tell me about advocates? "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."(John 14:15-17) And furthermore, "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:26-27) Friends, we have an advocate...stronger than any person...with a direct line to the Father. This advocate is the Spirit of truth and it has the ...