I want to be ........

I want to be ____________. Please fill in the blank.
Here are 10 suggestions that might help:

1.       …like her (add name) _______ because she’s pretty and thin.

2.       …successful in my career

3.       …financially comfortable

4.       …married

5.       …a mom

6.       …like them, popular and accepted

7.       …free from physical pain

8.       …healthy and well

9.       …live my dream to be a _______ (fill in blank)

10.   …young again

Too often I’ve been personally consumed with all my wants and desires, that I missed what God had for me.

Have you? Are you always wanting, wishing and longing for something? A desire. Fulfilled dream. The need to be fulfilled. We all have an insatiable longing for fulfillment. In our jobs, marriages, singleness, in retirement, life.

I recently heard an incredible message at church that jolted me out of my self-consuming haze. It challenged me to return to that place of abandon and surrender to the Lord that I know brings true fulfillment.

The message was about being ready; ready to meet the Lord when He returns. That day will be experienced by everyone, whether you’re a believer or not. We will all see Him. Some will be ready. Some won’t. As I think about that day, my longings and desires to be like someone else, to be successful, smarter, prettier, thinner, whatever, are fading in light of reality.

Being ready for THAT DAY takes a lot of preparation. It’s parallel to what a bride does before she meets her groom to pledge her abandoned love and commitment to him for a lifetime. That’s a day she has dreamed about and looked forward to her whole life. She thinks about it, talks about it with her friends, plans and daydreams about that day. She wouldn’t dare meet her groom without proper preparation.

I want to be ready when I meet Jesus face to face, whether it’s by me going to heaven or Him returning in my lifetime. I want my focus to change from trying to fulfill all my longings and wants myself, to being fulfilled and excited as I prepare to meet Him.

Something has happened since I’ve intentionally taken my focus off all the things I thought I wanted, and just focused on the one thing that really matters, which is Him. It’s not effortless because the world tugs and pulls, bringing clatter and chaos along with it. What I’ve noticed is opened doors to things that support my dream career. I’ve noticed a rest and contentment. I’ve noticed that the fulfillment I’ve longed for is becoming my reality. I feel His fresh touch again.

I want to be ready for my Groom, adorned with grace, mercy, wisdom and love. I don’t want to be clothed in selfishness, sinfulness and self-centeredness. I want Him to find me busily about His business, not trying to force my own way. I want to meet Him at the altar prepared and ready.

I want to be ____________. What is your answer? Share it below.

In continuous preparation,

Terri

Name Your Holiday

Every day is a holiday to someone; a reason to celebrate. There are some wacky national holidays with the stamp of Congress on them.

Today, July 16, is National Fresh Spinach Day. Yesterday was Tapioca Pudding Day (Yuck!) and also Cow Appreciation Day (go hug a cow).

Today, on National Fresh Spinach Day, we’re to add something healthy to our diet. However, tomorrow, the 17^th, is Peach Ice Cream Day. I guess you’re to counteract the fresh spinach with ice cream?

July 17^th is also National Yellow Pig Day. Really! If you don’t believe me, you can read about it here: http://holidayinsights.com/other/pigday.htm.

Who came up with these bizarre holidays? And how do these holidays get inducted into the national holiday hall of days (heehee).

Anyone can declare a holiday just to have a reason to celebrate, but for it to be made official really does take an act of Congress.

So, I’m making up my own kooky holiday. Here goes…

Today, I declare July 16^th as “Make Up Your Own Holiday” Day.

Today is the day you think of something you want to celebrate, then name it. It must be something of great significance to you.

This holiday will not need an act of Congress to be real for you and me. It can be a personal accomplishment, a victory, a new revelation or vision. It can be whatever you want it to be.

I’m declaring my holiday as Letting Go Day. If Congress approved it, it’d be called National Letting Go Day.

As I write this, I’m in the process of letting go of lots of stuff. Some are commitments to good things, but just because they’re good doesn’t mean I should say yes.

I’ve been trying to control the direction of my life. Things I want, situations, circumstances, people. I know better, but it’s in my nature to want things to go a certain way….my way.

I’ve secretly held on to negative, sinful thoughts that were buried underneath fear, worry, anger and resentments. My twisting, entangled thoughts demanded all my focus at the same time.

I’ve also had the wrong mindset regarding a non-profit single-parent ministry I founded. I wrongfully assumed I had to do it all and do it well. I have a day job, a husband, new grandbaby, elderly mom, friends, writing projects and more. I’m just the founder. God will provide gifted, talented people to do it all and who’ll do it well; much better than I can.

Following a recent burn out, and feeling I’d failed God, I took a step back from everything. God was then able to show me that He never intends for me to do it all; that my relationship with Him isn’t based on anything I do! It’s based on grace alone.

I’ve now taken all my focus off everything.

Except one.

HIM. Only my relationship with Him. That’s all. That’s my focus. My thoughts have smoothed out and my heart is no longer heavy. When I smile it’s for real.

As I let it all go, and place it on Him, He refills me. Peace, rest and a fresh touch. O yeah!

I gladly step aside.

This makes me want to celebrate! Happy Letting Go Day!!

What is your holiday today? What do you want to celebrate? Name it! And share it below.

Let the celebrations begin,

Terri

Miracles

I’m very excited today to introduce my very first blog guest! Many of you know him, but most of you don’t.

He’s never considered himself a writer, but I do. He’s written everything from detailed specs for fire engines, pumpers and ambulances, to his personal testimony.

He’s also written a couple of devotionals he shared at a Celebrate Recovery leadership meeting. That is what I’m sharing with you today, a piece he wrote titled, “Miracles.”

I am partial to him and yes, I do play favorites. He’s very witty, funny, intelligent, and has much to say about many things. I am sure this is the first of many stories and/or devotionals that will be penned by my very own, Donnie Webster, my sweet husband. I’ve edited his in-person version to a readers’ version.

Enjoy!

Today I am going to talk about some miracles that are going on right here around us.

Webster Dictionary defines a miracle as an event or action that apparently contradicts known scientific law.

In the Bible there are many examples of miracles: The parting of the Red Sea by Moses that allowed the Israelites to escape the bondage of the Egyptians. The time Jesus raised a man named Lazarus from the dead.

I have had people tell me that miracles like these no longer happen today.

They do.

How many of you know what a pecan tree looks like and are able to picture it in your mind? 

Now envision a pecan.  

A pecan weighs around an ounce and is a little over an inch long. If I were to take a pecan and put it in the ground, add some water, it would eventually grow to a 70 – 100 foot tall tree, weighing thousands of pounds. It would be like nothing that pecan you first pictured in your mind.

THAT IS A MIRACLE!

By the way, if anyone is interested, the second largest pecan tree in the state of Georgia is just a few miles from here on Marks Road between here and Mansfield.

Now picture a can of Salmon. Think about it for a few seconds. 

And no, the miracle is not that a man can put a dead fish in a can and then 5 years later take it out, eat it and not get sick. That is not the miracle.

This fish is born in a freshwater stream that is only inches deep. After hatching, the fish travels downstream and eventually into the ocean. Salmon have traveled up to 1500 miles one way from their place of birth.

After living several years in the ocean, the fish leaves the ocean, travels upstream where it first came from, and lays its eggs in the SAME stream where it was born.

THAT IS A MIRACLE!

What or WHO does the navigation there? Think about it… the navigation!

Now, picture a mirror. It can be a handheld one or big like one in your bathroom. All of us look in the mirror every day.

The next time you look in a mirror at yourself, you are looking at a MIRACLE.

God has created you by taking a single cell from your mother, and a single cell from your father. He combined two cells. Over a period of 9 months it produces millions of cells that became a living, breathing person.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb,”Psalm 139:13.

THAT IS A MIRACLE!

You see the pecan, the salmon, and the person that you are. These are all proof of things that science cannot explain. This is proof that MIRACLES DO EXIST. 

The next time you think you’ve never seen a miracle or wish you could witness a miracle, they’re happening all around us. We just need to be willing, to be willing to see them from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the author of all miracles. 

What other miracles can you think of? They're all around us and endless if you take the time to look around and see.