The Truth, and Nothing but the Truth

I'll be honest.   I have deliberated over this post more than any other post I've ever written.   You see, I read something recently and it shook me...to the core.   In fact, I had to read it several times, not because I didn't understand it.   Believe me...I understood it!   But I had to read it several times because the truth in it was too difficult to digest in one setting.   It was a truth that required that I take a long, hard look at my life and find myself on knees, repenting before God.

Even as read the above mentioned passage, I could feel God compelling me to write about it.   Again, the inward struggle was real.   I feared that others may read what I would write and think I was calling someone out.   And though it is true that as I read the afore mentioned passage, several faces popped into my mind, if I am completely honest, the most prominent face was my own.   So if you are reading this blog, and you think, even for a moment, "Oh, she is pointing her finger at me", or maybe, "uh-ha, she's trying to call me out"...let me just put your mind at ease.   The only one I am exposing here is myself...my own judgmental, self-seeking self.   But before you start pointing your finger at me and start thinking, "I told ya so"...maybe, just maybe you should ask God, am I guilty of the same offense?   Because, I believe that if we are honest, it is something we all struggle with.

For the past several weeks, I have been doing a Bible study/devotional based on the book Adamant, by Lisa Bevere.   It is a book that has challenged me on many days to look harder at my walk with Christ and to strive to change things that need to be fixed in my life.   But it was this short passage that stood out to me, almost as if someone had taken a bright yellow highlighter and marked it to grab my attention:

"At its core, truth is not a what, but a who, because Jesus said He is the truth.   Jesus also said that God's Word is truth.   The world loves to think of truth as fluctuating and relative, but the truth that is grounded in the person of Jesus and the Word of God never changes.   In a world full of opinions, God's truth leads us to convictions we can build our lives on.
We must be careful to discern the difference between opinions and convictions.   Our world doesn't need the messiness that comes with numerous opinions.   It needs the stability that comes with truth.   Let's not contribute to the noise that distracts and keeps us from looking to Scripture and the Spirit of truth.
Opinions are easy to make and quick to change, but hard to clean up if we've been careless in spreading ours around.   They can become like litter that defiles both others' lives and our own.   We must carefully guard our words to ensure we are part of the solution to the problems we're are anointed to change.
I challenge you to edit your life and edit the words you choose to speak.   Be careful about what you read, listen to, say or post.   Do not air your family issues, or the church's issues, for all the world to see.   Yet, at the same time, don't remain silent about them:  Speak to family about family issues.  If someone isn't involved in the problem or solution, don't unnecessarily involve them.   This only makes the problem bigger rather than solving it."

Everyone has an opinion.   Be honest.   Everyone has an opinion...but is it necessary...and even more importantly, is it beneficial for you to share that opinion?   And while you are answering that question, let me ask this one...who is benefitting from you sharing your opinion?   Honestly, at least 98% of the time, when I share my opinion, I am the one who benefits.   So how then, do I distinguish between 'opinion' and 'conviction'...because until now, I would have defined conviction as a very strong opinion...but it is not that at all.   A true conviction can only come from the truth.   The whole truth.   And nothing but the truth.    It doesn't come from your emotions.   It doesn't come from your upbringing.   God refers to Himself and His Word as truth.   And I would challenge you make Him the measuring guide by which you measure truth.   Did this come from Him?  If not, can it really be truth?

Our society is thirsty for the exposed truth.   Everyone wants to know the real truth.   The behind the scenes story...the "rest" of the story.  Look at the popularity of reality tv and expose' journalism.    We all want to know the truth...but the Truth is not hidden behind closed doors.    No, the Truth was hung on a cross before the entire world!  

My opinion, as much as I believe it, its not 100% truth.   It is tainted and warped by my experiences, my emotions and my beliefs.    It is my opinion, and until now, I thought it was important that I share my opinion about certain things with everyone.   I shared my opinions in this blog, on Facebook, Instagram and in personal daily conversations.   But what I am now realizing is that my opinion is noise.   Noise...a clanging cymbal, a resounding gong...just noise.   Noise, that contributes to the noise pollution of a world that is desperately thirsty for truth.   Truth that I have, yet I choose to give them noise instead.    Noise that distracts those who are listening and makes it nearly impossible for them to hear the Truth.

1 Corinthians 13 says this :

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love (truth), I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."

I was a drum major in my high school band for 3 years.   Those who were in the band under my leadership will most likely remember that one thing I hated was noise.    You know that drummer who just keeps drumming or the trumpet player who just keeps playing long after the conductor has given the signal for the cut off.   I always saw it as disrespectful and useless...yet, if I am honest...if I am truly honest, I am guilty of this offense.   I have contributed on many occasions to the noise.   Even when I know the conductor (God himself) has given me the cue for the cutoff.   Many times He has even gone so far as to call me out on it...and I still played on.   Why?   Not because my song was so important that others needed to hear...no, it was because it felt good to get it out.    It felt good.   But it wasn't good.   It was noisy.   Very noisy.

That's what our opinions are...just noise.  If you want to make beautiful music, you're going to have to pay close attention to the Conductor...and He will always point you to the Truth, His Word, The Score.   If it doesn't come from there, well then it simply doesn't measure up and it is noise.   It is distracting.  We are all entitled to our opinions...but that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone else is entitled to your opinion.   Ask yourself before you share it, does this line up with God's Word?   If not, then as righteous as you may feel, it is your opinion and it is noise.    Keep it to yourself.   If it is truth, real truth, then let God reveal it in the symphony He is directing.   It really isn't your job.   As for me, I'm going to do my best to stick to the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth.

FOUR

Four years.   You've been in heaven for four years now.   To us, it seems like you have been gone forever...but then I remember how "Godtime" works and realize that you're probably still checking in.   I wish you could tell us how grand that place really is.   My heart longs for it...even more now that you are there.

God has been so faithful to me.   I know, you promised me He would be, but He has really blown my mind with His faithfulness.   The kids are doing well...you would be proud of them.   Each one, finding their place in the world in their own way.  The church is doing well.   Moving into a new season wasn't easy, but they've done it and we are expecting great things on the horizon.

This week, I've been remembering tiny details that I had somehow pushed to the back of my memory.  Like the way you would play with your ear when you were nervous or in deep thought.    The way you'd quickly tilt your head to the right, then left when you were trying not to go off on someone.   The way that vein on the side of your forhead would pop when I had pushed all your buttons and you were trying to not go off on me!  The way you'd chew your bottom lip, bite your nails and stand to preach with half your foot dangling over the edge of the stage.   The way you sat in your big chair and studied God's word.  These memories bring a smile to my face and I can just see you doing what you loved all over again.

I miss you more than I can explain.   But I wouldn't bring you back...I know you are where you wanted to be.  So many times, I just wish I could pick your brain.   Although you never flaunted your knowledge, you were so wise when it came to scripture.    You could make the most complex scriptures seem so simple to understand.   Things that I would just read and skim over, you could preach life changing sermons from.   I wish I had spent more time letting you teach me how you did that.   I miss your laugh, the way you rocked out to music from bands I'd never heard of and the way you sang loudly and way off tune...and you didn't care because you were singing to God!

My life is not the same.   You would be happy to know that Mike and I married after Anne joined you in heaven.   He is such a blessing to me.   I prayed (during the time when I was alone) that if I ever remarried, that the man I'd marry would not be intimidated by your memory.    I couldn't imagine a life where I wouldn't be able to celebrate your memory.   I'd rather have remained single.  But God heard my prayer and since Mike loved you, too, we are able to celebrate both you and Anne.   We talk about you often and there are subtle memories all over our home that remind us of you.

And I think that this is where God has shown Himself most faithful.   He has allowed us to love each other deeply and without reserve.   We are passionate about each other and we try to live everyday to the fullest.    We love each other fiercely.  God is still using us...just not the same way.    We are in a new season and He is revealing ways that He wants to use us if only we are willing.   And we are.   I am blessed beyond anything I could've ever dreamed.   I know your only fear of death was that you were leaving us behind, but I can promise you, God has been faithful and He has provided for us at every turn.

I don't know how much longer we will be here...or when He will call us home.   But now more than ever, I trust that God has a plan and He will bring that plan about in my life.   I don't know when I'll see you again...I do know it will seem like a blink to you but for me, not so much.   I know that you probably won't be able to read this, yet writing it makes me feel better.   But someday, the day will come, when I'll see you in Heaven.   What a reunion that will be.

Today, I will not mourn your loss.   I will celebrate your memory.   I will enjoy the things you enjoyed (except golf...it's too cold and I can't hit the stupid ball anyway!).   I will watch Monk and Bones.  I will eat Mexican.  I will look at your pictures.   I will remember your legacy.   I will


celebrate you...because, I know you, and I know that is exactly what you would want me to do.   So happy anniversary of getting to heaven day!   Happy great reward day!   You deserved it!  You are still loved here on Earth!  But I celebrate you today!   I love you, still!

The Words of My Mouth...

Tonight I laid wide awake in bed, beside my husband who was doing his best to sleep.   I tossed and turned.   I fidgeted.   I prayed.   But sleep would not come.   Finally, (because I knew he'd be getting up super early to go hunting), I crawled from our bed and went to the living room where I spent the next couple of hours reading facebook posts and looking at pinterest.   Still, my mind was on overload and sleep wouldn't come.  So, in my frustration, I began to do what I do...I talked to God.   "Why am I so anxious?"   "Why can't my mind just shut it down?"   "Aggggh!"   No response.   Wait...what is that faint sound...I can't quite make it out.   Is that you, God?   If so, you should speak up, because my mind is too loud and I can't hear you!!!

Suddenly, I got a mental image of God slowly placing His finger over His lips and saying calmly, "Shhhhhh!"   I had just been shhhhh'd by God.   Really!   Imagine that.  (If you know me, then you know how much I HATE being shhhhh'd!)  God wanted me to just hush!

Earlier this evening, a friend stopped by and visited with us.   We talked about some tough topics.  It's good to have friends that you can be completely transparent with...but understand, not everyone can handle your transparency.    Thankfully, this one can.   In the course of our conversation, God brought one of my favorite scriptures to mind, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."-Psalm 19:14

For the last few hours, my thoughts have been consumed by my words.     Are my words pleasing to my Lord?    The words I speak in conversations I have with my husband?    The words I use when I speak to my kids?   The words I speak in the grocery store, at church or in passing?   The words I speak in jest...or how about the words I speak in judgement?  Is God pleased with my words?   How about when I'm whining (yes, I admit that I do this on occasion)?    How about the words I write?  Do those bring a smile or a grimmace to God's face?  

You see, I cannot choose the circumstances I find myself in.    If I could, I would never be wronged again or hurt by another's actions or lack thereof.   It is not up to me if I face sickness or disease.  I would never lose another loved one to death.   I don't get to see what lies around the bend.   But guess what?   I can choose my words.

I may not be able to choose my emotions, but I can choose what will meditate on.   I can choose how I will respond...and whether or not it will please God.

Yes, I will face heartbreak.   I will face disappointment and perhaps I will experience betrayal and even outrage.   Those things I can't control.    Anger, sadness, disappointment, fear...all part of life...but those things do not define who I am.   How I respond to those things however, does speak volumes of the real me, but even more, it reflects on the God I serve.  

Because I trust Him completely, it is imperative to me that my words reflect His authority in my life.   I want my words to bring Him glory.   I want my words to direct attention to Him...not to me, or my cause, or my desires.   I want the things I think about and the things I spend time dwelling on, to be the goodness and faithfulness of God...not the disappointments of a fallen world that I live in.  

I believe tonight, I have a new glimpse of what David was thinking when he wrote these words.  If I were David, perhaps I would've written it like this.   Lord, let me keep my mind more on You than on this world around me.   Let my words reflect You...not the dispair and gloom I may find myself in.   Lord, don't let my words reflect my anger, my disgust or my opinion.   The world doesn't need that.   What the world needs is You!   So, Lord, when my eyes become distracted by the world around me, draw my attention back to You.   Remind me to think about You and Your goodness.   That alone will blot out everything surrounding me.   And then, when my mind is consumed by Your love, let me speak.   Let me speak the truth...in Your love.  Amen.

Tic-Toc!

It's been far too long since I've written.  Perhaps that is why sleep is evasive tonight.   Maybe it's God's way of bringing me back to the keyboard...to our quiet place...the place where He speaks to me things that I can only hear in the silence.   The song He sings to me set to the cadence of the ticking of the clock.

Where did the time go?  I blinked and a couple months whizzed by!   Yesterday, Mike and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary...how did that happen?   It feels like we just got married!   Yes, our life has been fast paced in the past year, with the campaign and all, but we are very cautious about cherishing every moment...so when I realized just how fast time was passing, it really has made me think about what I am doing with my moments.

In just over four months, Abbi will graduate from High School.   Just a couple of months later, she will go away to college.   And just like that the last of my baby birds will fly away...and the nest will be empty.   For those of you who know me, you know that I have always had a theory that the empty nest syndrome was pretty much a myth.   I know I will miss having her here, don't get me wrong.   I'll miss our giggles in the kitchen, reminding her to get her room "squared away", her technological help with devices I will never understand.   I'll miss our chats and coming to the conclusion that she really didn't want my advice as much as she just wanted someone to hear her out.   I know...I will miss it.

But I also know that in order for her to fulfill the calling on her life, she must fly away.   Keeping her in the nest will only cripple her ability to be who God created her to be.   So before 2017 comes to an end, I will gently nudge my baby bird from the nest and watch her begin to soar.  As tempting as it is, now is not the time to make the nest more comfortable...it is the time for me to do what mama birds do, and teach her how to use her wings.

Life is full of seasons.   Moments that run into hours, hours into days, days into weeks...months, years, seasons.   We must be cautious to appreciate every season and not spend our time rushing through to get to the next season of life.    Fully appreciating each season involves embracing the moment, understanding that in time, the next season will come.    It means not trying to hold off the next season, as well.   It is not within our power to slow time down, we must learn to be good time keepers.  Valuing every moment.

I really thought I had completely learned this lesson after losing Jeff.   I thought God had ingrained this important lesson in my brain through our struggle with cancer.   Yet tonight, I am realizing that this is a lesson He will continue to teach me for the rest of my days.   Learning to not get so caught up in planning for the next season, that I miss what is happening in this one.   One thing I have learned is that once a moment is gone, it is gone...it will only remain in our memory.

So tonight, less than a week into 2017, I am reaffirming my committment to live in the moment God has placed me in.   To live my life in a way that reflects His goodness to me.   I commit to love my husband and children fiercely, striving to put away distractions that would keep me from valuing the moments God has given us together.   It's not so much a New Year's resolution, as it is just an awakening to the fact that the clock is ticking.   Tic-toc, tic-toc, tic-toc.

I remember the words of a song by the Steve Miller Band..."time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into the future".   Ecclesiastes 3 says it best...

1   There is a time for everything,
     and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2   a time to be born and a time to die,
     a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3   a time to kill and a time to heal,
     a time to tear down and a time to build,
4   a time to weep and a time to laugh,
     a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5   a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
     a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6   a time to search and a time to give up,
     a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7   a time to tear and a time to mend,
     a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8   a time to love and a time to hate,
     a time for war and a time for peace.

Lord, help me to cherish every moment.   The be present in the present.   To trust You with the future and every season.  And thank you tonight, for the song of the clock...tic-toc, tic-toc, tic-toc.

Engraved

Recently, I saw a post by a friend that referred to a tattoo that once was a sign of promise but now was just a big mistake.   I'm not sure if it was a name or a symbol, but whatever my friend had once had tattooed on her hand, she now covered up with a ring.   She no longer wanted it there.   What was once very dear, was now covered up, hidden so as not to remind her of what once was.  

My friend's post came back to me as I read my Bible this morning.  "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?   Though she may forget, I will not forget you!   See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands."   Isaiah 49:15, 16

I have another friend who struggles with self-worth.   Although this person is a Christian, they never feel like they are good enough to be loved by a righteous God.   Even though they've repented and have changed, in the back of their mind remains the thought that they have just done too many bad things and can never be completely forgiven.  It is a fear many of us face, that we are simply unloveable.

My late husband's mother was a very sweet mother-in-law.   She passed away just a few months before we learned of Jeff's cancer.   In her latter days, alzheimers ravished her mind in a way that was heartbreaking to all her loved her.   Jeff and his mom were very close.   For the first eight years of his life his dad was away in the military, so it was just Jeff and his mom.   They formed a bond that few could understand.

I will never forget the day that she forgot him.   It was perhaps the most broken I had seen him up to that point.   Shirley (Jeff's mom) had what the medical staff around her referred to as "Sundowners".   It is a form of Alzheimers that primarily affects a patient in the latter hours of the day.   The person may be cognizant in the morning, but by late afternoon, they can't remember people who are dearest to them.  

Because we lived hundreds of miles away, we were not aware how severe this condition could be.   We had heard from other family members how sad it was, but we really thought she would always remember Jeff.   That day we went to the nursing home around 10 in the morning.   We were visiting for the weekend and wanted to spend as much time as possible with her while we were there.    We walked in the room and she called each of us by name...Whew! She remembered us!   Perhaps family had misunderstood her symptoms after all.   She talked with us for the next several hours, dozing here and there.   She seemed tired but fine overall.

Then, around 3:30 in the afternoon, she looked over at Jeff and jumped.   Who was this strange man in her room?   It was heart breaking to watch as my mother-in-law, who I knew deeply loved her son, could not remember this child she gave birth to.   Thankfully, her lapse in memory only lasted until the next morning and she could remember him again.

So when I read this passage of scripture, I understand that yes, it is possible for a mother to forget her child that she loves.   I also know that it is possible to write something on your hand that you later regret.   But when I hear the term the writer uses here to describe the level of devotion God has to His children, I am in awe.    The scripture says, "See I have engraved you in the palm of my hand."

Engraved.   When I hear that term, I think "carved", so God has "carved" my name on His hands?   Yes, He did, and He did it with rusty nails!   You see, as He engraved my name on His hands, He was forgiving my sins.   It's a concept that is almost too large for my mind to comprehend.   But what I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that Christ, who knew no sin, took my sin and forgave it and that as they nailed Him to a cross, my name (and yours) was engraved on His hands.   Unlike my friend, Christ doesn't regret this engraving...it was the purpose He came to Earth for.  

So the next time Satan tries to tell you that you've been too bad, that you are unlovable, or that you've been forgotten, you just remind him that you've been ENGRAVED on your Savior's hand!

The Thinking Chair

When my kids were little, they each had their favorite TV shows to watch.   Zac loved Barney, or "Narney" as he would call it.  Doran loved Blues Clues, and for Abbi it was "Do-a"...or Dora the Explorer.   Thankfully, there was enough space between the three of them that they didn't fight over what we had to watch.   Well at least most of the time.   This morning, I am sitting in my living room and all is quiet.   The TV is not on...there's no cheery music in the background, no silly questions...only quiet.   Though at times I miss the days when they were little and thought their dad and I could do no wrong, today, I am just enjoying the peacefulness of this quiet moment.

I remember when Doran was just 3, and he wanted to watch Blue Clues, he had to have his "Binkin' Chair".   It was a little red chair, made to look just like the Thinkin' Chair on the show...where Steve would "Sit down in his thinkin' chair, and think, think, thin-n-n-n-nk!"  (I love how all you moms just sang that little song!  You know you did!)    He would sit there for hours, if I'd let him, and watch Steve and Blue all day long.

Yesterday, I had an "AHA" moment, when I realized I needed a Thinkin' Chair quite desperately.  You see, I have spent precious hours in recent days trying to figure out how to make God's plan for my life (and my family's lives) happen.   My husband is running for a public office...I've spent hours alongside him, strategizing and planning.    My boys are both in college and trying to figure out how to pay for it.   I've spent hours researching funding options for higher education.   Abbi is a Senior and I don't have to explain the countless hours we have spent, looking at options for college and scholarship opportunities.   I 've planned out ways to make Zach & Rebecca's dream life happen (although, the last thing they need is me to get involved there!)   Mike's mom is now 88 and though her mind is very keen, her body is not.   I 've thought about all the possibilities of caring for her.   I've dreamed about ministry opportunities for me and writing a book and the list goes on.

I've read the drama that plays out on Facebook everyday and felt my blood pressure rise as I absorbed the non-sense.  I've worried over the Presidential election and direction our country is heading.   It seems that the more I think on these things the bleaker my world appears.

I never realized that the more I thought on those things, I didn't come up with a solution, only stress.   Oh, every now and then I would have a good idea, but it was short lived and soon the stress would return.   My joy plumeted as thoughts turned to the things I've mentioned.

But wait, I've prayed about all of these things (ok, maybe not Facebook) and I believe that in every situation, we are headed in the direction God has planned for us.   I believe He orders my steps, so why am I so restless?

Yesterday, it hit me...because I am thinking about the wrong things.   You see, as a follower of Christ, I have placed my future in  His hands.    So why did I buy into satan's trick that says I have to fill my mind with ways to make God's plan for my life happen?   I don't know why...but I did.

God's word tells us in Philippians 4:8 that "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."   Does that mean I should sit back and just wait for God's plan to happen?   That I should just sit around and think about the good things and never deal with the issues at hand?

I don't think that is what the writer of this passage means at all.   I do think that God's intentions for me include me filling my mind with the things mentioned in this passage.   I think He wants me to spend a good portion of my time and energy, dwelling on things that are noble, pure and true.   As I do that, I believe He will be faithful and guide me as to how to navigate the issues I face on a day to day basis.  

It's easy to say I want to think on the good things, but when I spend more time on Facebook, than I do in God's word, I am just fooling myself to believe I have heard from Him.   I know this to be true because when I came to this realization yesterday, a thousand reasons why I SHOULDN'T take a break from Facebook came to mind.   The election is only days away (God is in control).  Most of my business comes through Facebook (but God is in control).  I don't watch TV so how will I know about the news (God is in control).    I might miss a birthday or an important event (God is in control).  And just like that, I had my answer.    Though my walk with Him was not in jeopardy, my peace was.   I needed to spend more time in the Word and more time thinking about the things He wants me to dwell on.

So although my "Thinkin' Chair" isn't red, and actually it isn't a chair at all, today I am installing a "Thinkin' Chair" in my life.   A place where I can spend a good portion of my time, thinking on the things God wants me to.   I will trust Him to order my steps and those of my family.    He has proven His faithfulness to me over and over and over again.   I have no doubt, He will remain faithful in all that concerns me.   So pardon me while I "sit down in my thinkin' chair and think, think, thin-n-n-n-nk!

A Tale of Two Husbands - Over the edge!

It used to scare me to death.   He would stand there, in front of hundreds of people, on the very edge of that stage.   Sometimes, more than half of his foot would just be hanging there.   I was certain he would someday fall off the stage and break a hip, or worse.   I would rant at him, saying things like "Why do you do such a stupid thing?" or "Do you know how dangerous that is?".   Calmly, but deliberately, he would answer me.   "I can't help it, Libby...I'm just passionate about what I'm preaching!"   And he was...I knew he was...still, his passion scared me to death.

This picture of my late husband, Jeff McFalls, is what I see in my mind every time I think of him preaching.   He was passionate and he preached with passion.   He was truthful and he spoke the truth.   The threat of repercussion couldn't sway him from telling the truth.   Even my consistent nagging couldn't sway him from what he was called to do.   He preached over the edge...not just his feet, but with everything he had.   I was afraid his passion would stir things up too much and I just wanted peace.   He reminded me that peace at all cost isn't really peace all...it's just passivity.  And passivity is a lie.  His passion intimidated me...but not only me.   I've learned that people find passion and truth intimidating.

I must be, however, attracted to what intimidates me!  It is no secret that my new husband is a passionate man.   He is perhaps the most honest man I've ever known...he won't lie, even when he knows the truth will cost him greatly.   I'm convinced he would rather die than lie.   If he even thinks he misrepresented the truth accidentally, he can't sleep until he makes it right.   What if we were all that way?   The world would be a much better place to be.  His passion has brought him trouble on more than one occasion, but without it, much of what has been accomplished in our community never would have happened.

As certain as I am that Jeff was created and called to be a pastor, I believe that Mike was created and called to be a public servant...serving the people as a leader in government.   His heart is to help people and make life better for them.   He sacrifices his own comfort, so that others can benefit.   He is not selfish, but doesn't want his generosity spotlighted.   That's because it is genuine...from the heart...not for show.

Both of my husbands have been thinkers.   I've watched them both deliberate on decisions,  making sure they have looked at it from every angle.   And then, once they've considered every side, they demonstrate courage and wisdom and make a decision.   No non committal responses or teetering forever, afraid to step over the edge.   No...a look at these two teaches us how to make a decision.

In just a few days, Mike's bid for election as a county commissioner will be upon us.   Voters will go and cast their votes.   Hopefully, the voters can see in him what I see and will elect him to serve our county.   Only God knows what the outcome of this election will be.   And only God knows how He wants to use Mike in the coming days.  We trust Him completely and submit fully to His will in our lives.

You see...Mike and Jeff weren't just passionate and truthful when things were going good...when all hell seemed to be unleashed upon them, I've watched them both stay true to their mission.    Their love of God and desire to be what He has called them to be is their driving force.

I find myself so thankful to have been able to share life with two men so full of passion and truth.    Truly, God has smiled upon me and given me favor.   Whenever I find myself wanting to shrink back and take the easy, less offensive, less decisive road, I think of these two Godly men that were placed in my life.   In that, I find courage to tackle the hard stuff...to step out over the edge and be everything God has called me to be.

We live in a time where political correctness has pervaded our society.   You can't speak truth for fear of offending someone.   And everything offends someone.   So we in turn choose not to speak at all.   God help us.   Let more of us find the courage to be like Jeff and Mike.   Let more of us become passionate and truthful.   Sensitive yes, but not to the point that we become dishonest to tickle the ears of those to whom we speak or quiet and non-decisive, paralyzed by fear of offending someone.

Lord, help me be what you have called me to be...help me have the courage to step over the edge!





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