Peaceful

I had a dream a few days ago and just cant seem to let it go. The dream starts out with me on a march. We are outside, on a street, just a typical street that we have marched down many times before. In front of me are people, we are walking, just walking. Then the crowd begins to thin and I see you up ahead. I walk faster to catch up too you. You are talking to someone but i don't know what you are saying. I catch up and we are suddenly in Aix-en-Provenance. I know this place because its a small French town that I visited. There is so much lavender there and its near the place where Mary Magdalene was suppose to have gone. Its beautiful, it sits on the hillside and its just so memorable, but I hadn't thought about it since I left back in 2003. But now we are walking down the street. The crowd is gone and its just you, me and this man. We are walking together. You start holding my hand. Then we are walking into a cafe, but its like an outdoor cafe. We are now holding hands with that close elbow lock. You don't say anything to me. I don't talk to you, we are just holding hands in this intense closeness. You are talking to this man, he's an important man, I can tell that and when we are sitting in the cafe you are talking to him. I cant see his face. He gets up to leave and you hand him an envelope. It looks like a very important invitation, with gold on the inside, and you had this to the man, with both had you give it to him. You don't let my hand go but you give him this envelope. All through out this dream its just calm. I don't remember any words, I barely remember faces. I remember the location because I remember that street distinctively. There was just a calmness all over the place. When I woke up I was so relaxed and it just felt so calm.
So I spent time thinking about all the things that it might mean and I came up with many things that it could be but I'm not good at analyzing myself. Everyone else can see it but me so I release it to you. What do you think?

Love

Love and Need and Want You Baby...Love and Need and Want You Baby...
Those words are from a song I heard in the car. I don't know who sings it or even the name of the song but those words, that part sums it up.
Love
Need
Want

Thank You Father God for Love.
Be Boldly Blessed today and be a blessing to someone.

The Power of Love

We have to walk in love. We think we are walking in love but God needs to see more love from us. If God is Love and Love is the Power of God then we should be walking in Love. Love isn't mixed with criticism and judgement. Love is patient and kind. Love is understanding and love is eternal. Love is a supernatural power. Its not just a church service or a special song. Love is teaching us how to hurt and still love. Teaching us to stay together and work it out. Some times we need to look at things from another perspective. Don't kill a spider with a shotgun. Yes, its dead but now you have a huge hole in the house. A new problem much bigger than the spider problem. Think about a different perspective to solve a problem. Focus on Love. Pursue Love. Practice Love. Study Love. Grow up in Love. Show Love. The solution will come from God.

Come, Lord Come

As we develop a closer relationship with Jesus we know that this age and time is coming to an end. Hopelessness is a common feeling. But we don't have to feel that way. Because no matter how much pressure comes on the earth, no matter how dark the natural circumstances around us seem. we know that we have hope in the soon to occur return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes we forget that. We get our attention focused on the natural things that are going on in our life. We have a tendency to lose hope and get caught up in the hopelessness around us. The drama and the turmoil of the world. But we don't have to let that happen. When we feel and know that we have no reason to have hope in the natural world we have to believe in Jesus. Things around us seem to go from bad to worse. Our hope keeps us going. Knowing that Jesus is coming back for us. That we are the beloved of Jesus. Get our eyes off this world and get them on the fact that soon and very soon we are going to see the King. That alone will raise your spirit.It will raise our spirits and separate us from the failure of the world around us. Think about it, when this world comes to an end, you and I will just be getting started. We will step into the glorious life that we have known and dreamed of. We will know that the best is yet to come. We can shout Hallelujah in the midst of trouble and say without a doubt " Come Lord, Come and come quickly."

REFLECT

PRAYER IS THE EXPRESSION OF A HUMAN HEART IN CONVERSATION WITH GOD. THE MORE NATURAL THE PRAYER, THE MORE REAL HE BECOMES. IT HAS ALL BEEN SIMPLIFIED FOR ME TO THIS EXTENT: PRAYER IS A DIALOGUE BETWEEN TWO PERSONS WHO LOVE EACH OTHER - Rosalind Rinker

Samuel Becket from Cornel West
We try again, fail again and fail better.

Valentine's Day

I have a present for you. I plan on dropping it off tomorrow around 1pm. I wasnt going to do it but I just couldnt resist this. I will be on my way elsewhere so I will just drop and run but I'm kind of excited about it.
This is always such a hard time for me. Holidays and stuff, you know what I mean I'm sure.
None the less. Our God is a God of Rebounds and Second Chances. Have Faith and Believe.

Calming The Storm

Luke 8:22-25

22(A) One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side of(B) the lake." So they set out, 23and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on(C) the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24And they went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And he awoke and(D) rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased,(E) and there was a calm. 25He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they(F) were afraid, and they(G) marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that(H) he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?"

Mark 4:36-41
36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves(A) were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 39And he awoke and(B) rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and(C) there was a great calm. 40He said to them, "Why are you(D) so afraid? Have you still no faith?" 41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another,(E) "Who then is this, that even(F) the wind and the sea obey him?"


John 6:16-21
16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles,[a] they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20(A) But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." 21Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

What does it all mean? Put the word first? Put our faith first in any problem?
Good thing I am still here and sane for the most part.
Today I was tested to the utmost.
I have a huge pet peeve. I cant stand mice. We seem to have the ability to occassionally have a field mouse come into the garage and into the house every winter. Well we had one this winter. I know if you see one there are more. I saw this one on a couple of occassions and each time I just totally freaked. I would pray continually on the elliptical and in the shower and just where ever I was that God would get rid of the mouse. We begin to smell one dead in the garage but the other one was upstairs in the bedrooms. So I put towels at the bottom of my door because I saw it come under a door once. Today there was a dead mouse at the door of my bedroom. I freaked. I cant deal with mice. I am like the guy in CaddyShack with the gopher. I dont like Mickey Mouse. I am not going to be kind or friendly because its a creature of God. I say kill it and kill them all. I will not ever protect or save a mouse. I believe I stopped it from its regular route and it just freaked too. My brother removed it and now I am on the quest to get the rest. I will not rest until they are all gone. I have had professionals in before because this is a huge problem for me. But now, I am calm. I can rest because the annoying mouse is dead. The mouse is dead.

Pushing and Pulling

I felt a strong desire to say good night. I was encouraged by tonight's bible study. Sarah is one of my favorite female bible characters.
Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up.
I go to bed with that in my head.
I rhymed, I must be a poet.

A living example of Love

Roman 5:5

And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his Love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.



Don't worry that you don't have enough love inside of you. The word says that God' Love is poured out into our hearts by Holy Spirit. We had nothing to do with it. God's Love is in our hearts. We just have to decide to let it flow.

Today I make a strong commitment to live the life of love. To let God's Love flow in my life. I want to heal any wounds that I have caused. Father God teach me to love even when things go wrong. I don't want to walk away angry. Show me how to be patient and kind when things don't go my way. Allow me to overlook spiteful words from angry people. Allow me to rejoice in another person's blessing. Teach me to speak in love and not gossip. Lord your word says that you have poured love into my heart, let me bring it out and be a reflection of love for you. Direct my love so that I remove every obstacle in the path of my living freely with my true love. Keep love flowing freely in the lives of those around me. Let others in my life feel love and respond in love. Put resentments behind me and allow me to forgive those who have wronged me and let me be forgiven by those that I have wronged. In the days ahead allow me to increase in my love and commitment. Let me overflow with love. Cause me to be a living example of Love. In Jesus Name. Amen.'
Be blessed today.

What Was I Thinking

This morning I looked at my calendar to see when our next three day weekend was and I realized that I have a church calendar and my school calendar, almost side by side. It reminded me of the sermon where we are pulled by both sides. Some days I have to look at one or the other. When I want to know Ash Wednesday, Easter or any other religious holiday, I look at one calendar. When I want to know testing days, staff development and stuff like that, I look at the school calendar. You cant have two masters. You will love one and hate the other. I believe that can exist at different intervals and alternate between the two. I know the accepted answer but I know the pressure and position that each of them calls for. My choice is to serve God. I can not let man win in my life.I look for balance and there is none. One must win. God's will must be my will. I chose and I have to understand that my choice is the right choice. I am a winner by choosing God.
Good Night

RESTORATION

ISAIAH 49:6-11

GOOD NIGHT

Misunderstood

"One should expect to be misunderstood and surprised if you're not. You have to work at communication." Ed Wortz

Feeling as if we have really been heard and acknowledged is like a magical healing potion. It doesn't matter if when you are listening that you agree, I just feel validated that I have been heard. What I said really matters. When you are able to get to that place of validation in friendships and relationships then when we have something uncomfortable to say you are aware that peoples self-defense mechanisms will come out. When you tell them something that has upset you, they immediately say" that's not true" "that's not what I meant". I even do it myself, its automatic. But whether or not the thing is done or said in that manner we can and must be concerned enough to know that there is a problem since the matter has been brought up in the first place. We validate them by listening and not dismissing or patronizing them. When we do this, we are on the road to good communication. Something that is very rare in relationships and friendships. Remember that I validate your existence and your feelings and comments. I search for a new approach in communicating.
How do we move forward?