YOU make a difference...

Many of us know we've been designed for such a time as this. Or we've heard many times that we have a unique plan and calling on our lives. I received this short but moving clip from someone the other day and hadn't opened it until today.  WOW....I know we all make a difference, and I know those of you who have made a tremendous difference in my life. And for many of you who think you go unnoticed you are usually the ones I notice the most.  Those quiet behind the scenes friends, supporters and servants who diligently give of yourself.  I want you to know, in my life many of you have made a difference and impacted me in ways you'll never know. From those of you who were there when I grew up and were the solid..funny...friends that helped mold my creative crazy character. To my moms friends who were always the ones welcoming me into their home for dinners, play dates and tea (when I was a teen and my car ran out of gas...) To my many coaches who were hard on me but taught me to never give up and give all I have in all I do.  To those of you whom maybe we haven't always seen eye to eye, through those instances I've been stretched and grown in character and patience. To my friends...and also my much older and wiser friends who were there for the first years of parenting and marriage. You've all made a massive difference in my life and helped me be the woman/mom I am today. God has placed many people in my life from all walks of society and allowed them to pour into me. Thank-you. You have made a difference in my life.

I'd especially like to speak into the lives of the ones younger than me. You've impacted me in more ways than you know. The things you've taught me through what you've gone through, and continue to go through amazes me.  Never think you aren't making a difference. Keep going, keep pressing on and keep pressing in to all God has for you. You make a difference in my life! Know that I love you and appreciate you.

Watch the short but super amazing clip.....  www.blueribbonmovie.com

Holy...Holy...Holy....

What an amazing and Holy God we serve.  Tonight I was reading the word, and I was reading Isaiah 6.  I love verse 3, and I love hearing songs, worshiping to songs or just soaking in His presence as I hear Holy..Holy..Holy. No matter how many times I hear those words they send goosebumps through my whole being.  Our God is SO Holy.  

I think in the culture and in the attitude of society we don't truly grasp how Holy our God is. We've referred to Him as our Homeboy or our buddy. I love hearing him referred to as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  That speaks volumes to me..he is indeed above all else.  He is Holy, he is wonderful, magnificent.  I love how Isaiah in that chapter when seeing the Lord Almighty says Woe to me! I am ruined.  For I am a man of unclean lips. It's like when the Lord showed up a mirror was placed infront of Isaiah and all that was in him was revealed. 

Jesus came to fill in the gap. He brought grace and mercy, which I am truly thankful for or I dont' think I'd be here today!  But by Gods grace I am.   Sometimes I see and feel that we abuse God's grace. We come before Him knowing he'll forgive, so many times our repentance isn't genuine but comes out of mere routine. Often times we mix up guilt and repentance. True repentance is being broken...not because you were caught, but because you've broken the heart of the One you love. 

Just sit and think on Him, His goodness, His very being, meditate on how amazing He truly is...He is infact Holy!

A Call To DIE...

I really felt a push to get deeper into the word, more meditation and actively waiting on God. No matter how far you've come or how long you've traveled as a follower of Christ there is still a ways to go. The closer I walk with Him, the more I need to throw off. We have a book called "A Call to Die" we bought it several years ago, but I've never gone through it. It starts off with a commitment, being committed to spending at least 1 hour each day in the presence of God, for 40 days.  Now for some that sounds like a walk in the park, and for others of you it might sound like to much of  commitment.  I take commitment really seriously, and that's why this book was never done years ago, because I wasn't at a place where I knew I could keep my covenant. So as I was searching the bookshelf in our closet, it caught my attention and I pulled it out.

The first day was talking about taking up your cross and following the Lord.  Now I live a pretty clean lifestyle, Im not a wild partyer, drinker, gambler etc...but sometimes those outward actions are easier to throw off then the ones that no one sees.  There are things we do in life that are by no means bad, but from time to time we should offer them up to the Lord in order to make sure they don't become or aren't idols in our lives.  For some of you it could be your cell phone, your email, facebook, TV shows, books instead of the Word, games, music etc. We all have those things that sometimes take the place of the voice of the Lord. 

Im thankful in those tough growing times.  When God shows me things in my life that need to be changed. I thank him for revealing things to me that might be trying to sneak in and take his place, because to me that's showing he cares. He cares enough to show me. He cares enough to reveal it to me.  As I tell and pour my heart out to him letting him know I want to follow him whatever the cost, it gives him room to reveal things and say "What if it meant this??" or "What if it meant giving up that" His desire isn't to strip us of "things" or to keep us from having things. His desire is to make sure things don't have us.  It's a call to die, to die to selfishness, selfish desires.

The one thing I had made a committed to was for a period of time each day...and I found myself bartering. "What if I "put in" my time with the Lord before then, then what's the big deal. Well, the deal is that I would rush my time with God or squish it in as a chore instead of a desire, or a longing to be with him.  I don't know about you, but I love to offer myself for things instead of being offered.  Being offered sometimes takes the joy out of whatever you're doing. It's like that with the Lord. If we feel obligated it takes the joy out of spending time with Him, but if we are longing or desiring to meet with Him, we eagerly await that time we can intimately share together. 

I challenge you today, to find those things that might not be "BAD" but that are becoming an idol or taking more time out of your day than they should. Find those things that force you to "squish or hurry" you through your daily time with the Lord. It happens easily, and subtly. So if as you're reading this and something comes to mind that you should give up or cut back on, and you are justifying it in your head, that's probably the thing the Spirit is concerned about....when you're saying oh that's not a big deal I can control that, it doesn't have me. That might be the very thing the Lord is tugging on you about. Stomp on those selfish desires before they stomp on you...

Be encouraged my friends...you can do all things through Christ.  I encourage you to Take Up Your Cross and Follow Him.

When He asks the question will you follow me whatever the cost... How will you respond??