We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, dates are being thrown around, plans are being made and anticipation is building. I love to decorate for holidays and with Garrett's homecoming around July fourth, our house is exploding with red, white and blue.
As preparations are being made it is not lost on me that homecoming for soldier's families are not always a celebration and Satan is there to ask "What if he made it this far and right before he leaves he is killed?". I go through the "what if's?" and remind myself of the thing that has gotten me through this past year. My God is in control.
Before we know it we are standing on the scorching, black tar mack at the Greenville airport. Home made signs are being waved, voices are crying out hoorays and the plane lands bringing our soldiers back to us. Tears of happiness are running down faces to the smiles below. They unload into formation as we search with our eyes for the one that belongs to us. We are fixed on the line that we cannot cross right now but as soon as all speeches are given and the word is given, it is every man for himself!
Of course I am the first one to reach Garrett, it's my baby boy. As I wrap my arms around him, the end of a long year has come. I am very proud of this soldier and very thankful to the God who brought him home.
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Poor Whitney
As some of you know, I am a professional clown (Maggie Mae) and one of my magic tricks is a game about choices. If you know anything about magic, it's called a forced trick. The person picks a number between 1 and 16 and no matter what number they choose, as we count on a game board I can make them land on the color I want. Behind this color is always Jesus. As we talk about the things they didn't choose, we are talking about things the world has to offer.
Behind the green square is a bag of money, a lot of people think money is the key to peace and happiness. You can't eat but one meal at a time, you can't wear but one set of clothes at a time. Money can not buy you true friends but can open the door to many stumbling blocks. It cannot buy you happiness and I want my volunteer to be happy so I haven't allowed them to land on that.
Behind the red square is a crown, representing fame and popularity but we know that can't bring you happiness either. I remember when I was in school I thought the answer to happiness was to be one of the "in" kids. We grow up reaching for the stars, look at all the reality shows on TV. If only we were famous we would have everything, right? No, it's hard to tell who your true friends are when you're famous and you are always trying to out run the microscope you are living under. When we get to the red square I always think about Princess Diana but today I think about Whitney Houston. They seemed to have everything the world has to offer but their lives were so troubled. Fame and popularity cannot bring you happiness and can open the door for many stumbling blocks. I want my volunteer to be happy so I haven't allowed them to land on that.
Next is the blue square and behind it is the word "nothing". Now we know right away that's not good! The world is filled with people who feel like they have nothing to live for. We all are searching for meaning and purpose to our lives and so many times we try to fill that emptiness with the things of the world, which will let you down every time. The things of this world cannot bring lasting peace or happiness and can open the door to many stumbling blocks. Again I have not allowed my volunteer to land on this.
The last color is yellow and I have forced my volunteer to land on this color and behind it is Jesus! I explain how Jesus has come so that we can have life and have it abundantly. Only He can bring the lasting happiness and peace that money cannot buy, He can be the friend like the most popular person has never known and only He can fill up that emptiness inside each and every one of us.
Yes, it is a game, a magic trick but it teaches a very important lesson. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could force people to choose Jesus like Maggie Mae? We can't, we can only share what He has done in our lives. Every one must choose Him for themselves. It's more than just choosing Him, we must follow Him and obey His word. Only a relationship with Jesus can bring lasting peace and happiness, if we could talk to Diana or Whitney today they would tell you, it's the most important thing!
Behind the green square is a bag of money, a lot of people think money is the key to peace and happiness. You can't eat but one meal at a time, you can't wear but one set of clothes at a time. Money can not buy you true friends but can open the door to many stumbling blocks. It cannot buy you happiness and I want my volunteer to be happy so I haven't allowed them to land on that.
Behind the red square is a crown, representing fame and popularity but we know that can't bring you happiness either. I remember when I was in school I thought the answer to happiness was to be one of the "in" kids. We grow up reaching for the stars, look at all the reality shows on TV. If only we were famous we would have everything, right? No, it's hard to tell who your true friends are when you're famous and you are always trying to out run the microscope you are living under. When we get to the red square I always think about Princess Diana but today I think about Whitney Houston. They seemed to have everything the world has to offer but their lives were so troubled. Fame and popularity cannot bring you happiness and can open the door for many stumbling blocks. I want my volunteer to be happy so I haven't allowed them to land on that.
Next is the blue square and behind it is the word "nothing". Now we know right away that's not good! The world is filled with people who feel like they have nothing to live for. We all are searching for meaning and purpose to our lives and so many times we try to fill that emptiness with the things of the world, which will let you down every time. The things of this world cannot bring lasting peace or happiness and can open the door to many stumbling blocks. Again I have not allowed my volunteer to land on this.
The last color is yellow and I have forced my volunteer to land on this color and behind it is Jesus! I explain how Jesus has come so that we can have life and have it abundantly. Only He can bring the lasting happiness and peace that money cannot buy, He can be the friend like the most popular person has never known and only He can fill up that emptiness inside each and every one of us.
Yes, it is a game, a magic trick but it teaches a very important lesson. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could force people to choose Jesus like Maggie Mae? We can't, we can only share what He has done in our lives. Every one must choose Him for themselves. It's more than just choosing Him, we must follow Him and obey His word. Only a relationship with Jesus can bring lasting peace and happiness, if we could talk to Diana or Whitney today they would tell you, it's the most important thing!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
I've Been Still
Well I am still here, I just haven't had much to say. I let life swallow me up and on the inside I shut down. Do you ever do that? Those I come in contact with on a regular basis would never know because like most of us I know how to put on my game face. To put one foot in front of the other and do all thats expected of me, all the while you are dead on the inside, finding it difficult to find joy in anything.
Imagine that, and I am a christian. I have a living, breathing, real relationship with the God of the universe. That doesn't make me perfect, I wont get that till I get to heaven. I'm human, made of flesh. Flesh that hurts, that gets angry, feed up, overwhelmed, and weary. I know God tells us to keep our eyes on him but guess what? I slip and when I do, I loose myself, so I've had a few weeks of that. To me it's kind of like throwing a fit with God. After I was finished screaming on the inside I cried out to God and had to get quiet and listen.
He tells us in His word to Be still and know that I am God. Its hard to pay attention when you're throwing a fit even when it's just on the inside. He has lifted me up again and renewed my spirit, just like He has promised He would. We all find ourselves in that condition at times and I don't know how those whose hope is in anything in this world gets through it. Jesus Christ is the only hope and as I get up and follow Him through out this fallen world, trying to accomplish His will for my life, not anybody else's, I am waiting for Him to come again and take me home.
Imagine that, and I am a christian. I have a living, breathing, real relationship with the God of the universe. That doesn't make me perfect, I wont get that till I get to heaven. I'm human, made of flesh. Flesh that hurts, that gets angry, feed up, overwhelmed, and weary. I know God tells us to keep our eyes on him but guess what? I slip and when I do, I loose myself, so I've had a few weeks of that. To me it's kind of like throwing a fit with God. After I was finished screaming on the inside I cried out to God and had to get quiet and listen.
He tells us in His word to Be still and know that I am God. Its hard to pay attention when you're throwing a fit even when it's just on the inside. He has lifted me up again and renewed my spirit, just like He has promised He would. We all find ourselves in that condition at times and I don't know how those whose hope is in anything in this world gets through it. Jesus Christ is the only hope and as I get up and follow Him through out this fallen world, trying to accomplish His will for my life, not anybody else's, I am waiting for Him to come again and take me home.
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