Called to Speak

How do you know if you're called to be a speaker?

The answer looks different for each one of us. Yet, inside the soul of a speaker lies a burning desire that cannot be denied.

For me, I remember the days of my childhood when I wanted to play school with my friends. I always wanted the role of teacher. At the end of the school year, teachers would throw away books no longer needed for the classroom. It grieved me to see books in the trash, so I collected these unwanted books for my play classroom. Not many of my friends wanted to play school during the summer, so I set up my dolls as students. They were the perfect students and, of course, I was the perfect teacher.

To read the rest of my post, hop over to StepUP Writing and Speaking.

The First Weekend of Summer

Most of us equate the Memorial Day weekend to the beginning of summer. Family gatherings. Grilling. Watermelon. Camping. Although the weather is warm [or hot depending on where you live], summer doesn’t actually begin until June 21. But we choose to start summer anyway.

But while we're getting together this weekend with our loved ones, let's pause to remember why Memorial Day, a federal holiday, was established.

Other than scheduling a federal holiday on the last Monday of May so those employees can have a long weekend, this day is to remember those who have died in the line of military service.

So many lives have been given voluntarily for our freedoms. Freedom is not free. It cost soldiers their lives. Their loved ones an empty hole in their hearts and homes.

I hope you will take a moment to remember the fallen soldiers on Monday. Set aside a few minutes to lift up a prayer for their families.

In tribute and to help us remember, I'll leave you with Darryl Worley's song, "Have You Forgotten?" Please take three minutes to watch and listen.

Rental Realty

I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! ~~Psalm 119:19 ESV

For more years of my adult life, my husband and I owned property. But since we moved, we decided to rent to become more familiar with the area.

This has been a difficult adjustment. Four months into this house and it still does not feel like a home to me. Changes I would make if it were my own, I can't make because it is not my own.

Then I remember the Scripture where God told Abram to take his wife and go to a land. They picked up their belongings and lived in the land for years in tents. It was all temporary. When Sarah died, Abraham asked to purchase a piece of property where they lived as sojourners all those years.

So though I've been in this house for four months, I still don’t know where to hang all the pictures. I still am not sure where to put certain pieces of furniture. I still don’t know how to really feel at home. Perhaps, it's to help remind me that my life on earth is only temporary.

We're only sojourners in this land. Jesus promised to go build a place for us-- a permanent home for us. All we have on this earth is temporary. We're just renting realty for now.

Out of Humiliation

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. ~~Philippians 2:3-4 NIV

I never knew hard work until I became a mother. It's the one job that never has time off.

Sometimes the emotional turmoil of my role as a mom attempts to take a toil at me. The demands place on one person at times can be overwhelming.

The dynamics in our household do not always allow for our family to be together, even on holidays. Yesterday's Mother's Day was one of those days. I woke up, prepared to go to church. But as I'm driving off by myself, I pulled over because the tears filled my eyes.

How can I walk into church alone on Mother's Day. Everyone greeting mothers with "Happy Mother's Day." I didn’t feel happy and I couldn’t go on, pretending.

I called a friend who shared with me her perspective on the situation. I thank God she didn’t coddle me. She told me straight out from her own experience that sometimes expectations are set up are from selfish desires.

Ouch. The truth hit me smack dab in the face.

Now slapped with the truth, some sense had been knocked into my selfish brain. I started thanking God that I have a healthy family. It no longer mattered if they were with me at church because I thanked God I have a family.

Already late for my church, I decided to drive to a nearby church that I wanted to visit but had not had the opportunity. Yesterday's guest speaker was Jim Caviezel, the actor who portrayed Jesus in The Passion of Christ.

Caviezel shared a statement that stood out to me, "Out of humiliation comes humility and that's where God wants us--to be humble."

Out of my perceived humiliation, I let go of the false expectations of my family serving me on Mother's Day. I chose to serve them and it made me glad to do so.

What is God's Will for Me?

This morning I woke up and asked the Lord, "What is Your will for me today?"

I opened up my web browser to Biblegateway.com and this is the verse of the day today:

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I share with you, that I felt like God spoke directly to me today. Now grant it, I asked wondering how to prioritize my to-do list. But I received three things to put at the top of my to-do's this morning.

First, be joyful. I admit, this week I've been battling the blues. Nothing bad, but not anything to be overly excited about. But God's will in Christ is for me to be joyful, so I'll focus on the things today that bring me joy. Not the things that rob me of the joy God's given to me.

Second, pray continually. I like to get up early, find my cozy spot on on the sofa before anyone else wakes up, have my Bible and journal and pray. But I cannot stay there all day praying. I think this means to pray as I do. I had a housekeeper once who taught me how to pray at home. I worked at the time and when I came home for lunch I asked her to pray for me. She showed me she prayed for me all day. She prayed as she washed the dishes; she prayed as she ironed the clothes, as she made the bed, and so on. I can do that today.

Third, give thanks in all circumstances. Not all my situations are ideal in my mind, but I have so much in which to be thankful. I need to list those things and keep giving thanks to God for them.

That's my God's will for me today as it clearly states in His Word, "for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Can it be any clearer than that?