Today is a LEAP day!

Happy LEAP day!

29 days in February instead of the usual 28. Something that rolls around only once every four years. So what are you going to do with this unique day?

It is my prayer that something unique will present itself to you today. A financial blessing? A promotion at work? A kind word spoken from a stranger? Perhaps, the uniqueness of this day will happen not FOR you but FROM you!

Sometimes we miss out on a blessing because we are too afraid of stepping out in faith or we miss out on an opportunity because we have our heads in the clouds. God has something special for each of us today, but we have to be willing to step out in faith...

Philippians 3:13-14 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Has God laid something specific on your heart to do today?
Or perhaps someone to reach out to? Don't allow the enemy to sidetrack you, just do whatever it is God is pressing you to do. Today is your day...it's a day to not waste. It's leap day, you won't get another day like today for another 4 years, so go for it!

LACED WITH GRACE...what would it take to get the lights turned on?

Today I have shared a devotion with the readers over at LACED WITH GRACE, entitled, "What would it take to get the lights turned on?" ...

"There is a young man who lives around the corner from us. He use to live with his father in his fathers house, but ever since his father passed away, this young man has been living in the house alone and in the dark…Literally. Because of choices of a certain lifestyle, this young man spends all of his money on drinking and drugs and chooses to live in the house with no electricity. He has lived like this for years. It is a lifestyle, that quite honestly, I cannot even comprehend.."

CLICK HERE to read this entire post!

Gumball Machine

When I was a child, one of the biggest kicks was to get a nickel or quarter from my mom and put it in the gumball machine and then turn that big knob and wait with anticipation for something sweet to come rolling out!

You don't really see those big gumball machines anymore. If you do, it will cost alot more than a nickel to get something sweet, I am sure you will need a few more coins to fulfill your anticipation.

As I was thinking about this sweet memory of my childhood, I couldn't help but think that we as people are much like a gumball machine. The more we put in, the sweeter the outcome will be.

The problem is that in today's busy world, such input is becoming almost as rare as the original gumball machine. There is no better proof of this rarity than the picture I see almost every day here in the Memphis area. It is not a rare sight to see a seemingly homeless person standing on a corner, holding a sign, asking for help. The rarest thing about this picture is seeing anyone stop to offer help...its hardly ever seen.

A quarter doesn't seem like much, it wasn't much when I could drop it in the gumball machine, but yet, a quarter, a dollar, a hamburger, a cup of coffee, a new pair of shoes seems like way too much to invest in someone who has nothing.

Psalm 119:103 "How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

Christians should be the gumball machines of the world...investing in others (putting something in) so that a sweetness, the kind that comes from Gods love, can come out. Someone, maybe on the corner or maybe at your workplace, is waiting with anticipation for a sweet taste of Jesus. All they need is a quarter and it is still in your pocket.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...Passion play of my heart

We are fast approaching the time of the year that many churches are planning their annual Passion Plays! It is one of my favorite times of the year, not only because of the springtime feeling that is in the air, but because of the message that we see in these plays, it gives us such a fresh look at Calvary.

Recently I came across the story of the origin of the first passion play...

It was in the early 1600s, a small village in Germany desperately called out to God in despair over a plague that was devastating to Germany at that time. The people from the town of Oberammergau made a vow to God that they would perform a play that all would participate in, sharing the story of the Messiah if in turn God would spare them of the plague.

Even though thousands were dying of this plague all over Germany, those from this small village were being spared. Thus creating an annual presentation as we know today as the "Passion Play".

Things are not much different today than back then in the 1600's. What plagues us now may be just as devastating, if not more. The truth is that our world has become accepting of such devastation, we have become tolerant of the plague of sin. What we need in the year 2012 is a whole-hearted commitment to serve God, recognizing the passion of Christ will certainly allow us to escape such horrific plagues like the village of Oberammergau did.

No matter what strikes against our lives, against our families or against our country ... He will make a way of escape for us.

¹³ "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13) NIV

Today, I am very thankful for the passion of Christ. His heart, His life, His blood...I am thankful for it all!

Today, Iris is hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY. Please join your grateful heart with ours over at http://www.eph2810.com/ . Next week you will find TT right here at Women Taking A Stand!

A PIECE OF MY HEART...dealing with controlling people

I consider myself a very confident and trusting person, I like to be in control of things. Notice I did not say in control of PEOPLE, I said in control of THINGS. For instance, I like to be able to determine my schedule, deciding what is most important to accomplish each day...I have the control of what gets crossed off and what gets bumped to tomorrow.

When driving on the highway, I have the control to either monitor my speed or decide to push the pedal to the medal and risk getting a ticket.

Controlling THINGS is very much different than controlling PEOPLE. When I control the things in my life, that is a purposeful decision. Controlling PEOPLE usually rises up out of something else, I can't imagine what purpose having a controlling spirit could have.

But yet, I see so many people turned that way, having the need to control others. In marriage, in friendships, in church, on the job.

So how can we as Christians deal with these controlling people in our lives?

The first thing that is imperative to do is to recognize that the need to control comes from a place of fear, of weakness, never from strength. People who operate from their strengths never have the need to control.
The second thing is to remember that most controlling people do not even recognize that they are controlling. They do not see what everyone else sees. They put off their weaknesses as strengths.

The third thing is to refuse to allow the control and manipulation of others to define you.

Romans 8:6 "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace." (NIV)

We cannot always control what others do or say, but we can control how we react to them or our situation. I haven't always responded in the way that God would have me respond. But instead of making myself go crazy because of someones manipulative ways in my life, I have to surrender it to God and allow His Holy Spirit to work not only in me but also on that person who has a controlling spirit.

May you experience Romans 8:6 fully and allow your mind to be controlled by the Spirit and not by man. God is who defines you, and nobody can take that from you...unless you choose to let them.

And this has been a piece of my heart today;

Listen to Meeee!

This morning as the preacher read a passage from the book of Isaiah, I couldn't help but hear it in the tone of a parents voice:

(Isaiah 51:1-2) "1 Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. 2 Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many."

So many times when my children were younger, I had to bring their attention back to what I was telling them by saying in a stern voice, "LISTEN to Meeee!" Listening is not always the easiest thing for a child to do.

As a child of God, I guess it is no different. How easily we get distracted. We lose focus. We make choices that keep us from seeing and hearing exactly what God is trying to tell us. I can very easily see God wanting to just grab our faces and say sternly to us..."LISTEN to Meeee!"

As I read the passage in Isaiah, verse 2 helped me to see how exactly I can listen more to God. The word "Look" really jumped off of the page to me. Abraham is a great example, a great mentor, for us to look to for seeing the blessings of God. But as I read this, I thought about my children. I thought about the times that they would have to look right at me in order to hear everything I was telling them.

I would suggest that in order to trust and obey God, we must listen to His voice and we must look right at Him and His ways. If we don't, we just might miss what He is telling us and miss out on the blessings that even Abraham experienced.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...pay forward some love

This week for THANKFUL THURSDAY, I would be amiss if I didn't give thanks for love, after all we just celebrated the holiday of love, aka Valentines Day. I hope that you have experienced love this week, not just any kind of the love but the greatest love of all.

I am a blessed woman. Married to my high school sweetheart for the past 31 years. He loves me more today than ever. He holds my heart in his hand and for all of these years he has taken good care of my heart. As wonderful as that is, he is not the only one who holds my heart. Ever since I gave my heart over to God, many years ago, He has also carefully tended to the condition of my heart.

He has protected it.
He has strengthened it.
He has healed it.
He has kept it close to His.

Love...what makes it so amazing anyway?

For one thing, it is what propelled God to send His Son to die for you and me. Without love, we would have no redemption and without that we would have no faith or hope either.

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

You see without love, nothing else matters. It is the very foundation of why we live. It is my prayer that you receive much more than just a heart shaped box full of chocolates, it is my hope, (and faith) that you receive the greatest gift of all....His eternal love.

No matter what condition your heart is in, whether it has been broken, bruised or mishandled...Once you give your heart to God, He will cherish it like none other. His love is truly the greatest gift you could ever receive. I am so grateful that His love propels me to love others. This kind of love is a pay forward method...Because He loves me, I can love others!

Pay forward some godly love to someone today.

Iris is hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY this week, we would love to hear what is on YOUR grateful heart! Link up here!