Upside Down


I love this short and sweet story.
A huge message in few words...
 .................
 Today I was approached by a homeless man who asked if I had any change. 
I only had two quarters, but I gave it to him anyway.
As I watched him walk away,
he put the quarters in an expired parking meter of a stranger's car.
 
Someone who couldn't even afford to buy himself something to eat,
instead used what little he had to give others.
...................

What a beautiful example of giving.

I was touched by this story.

Seems kind of upside down.
The homeless man...giving.
Honestly, he probably has more than most of us have.
He holds a treasure worth more than any earthly fortune.
A humble and giving heart.

This is the treasure I long for.

I admit to struggling with giving.
It is a quality I would like to see wither.
I would rather flourish as
one who, without inhibitions, gives even her last 2 quarters.

I have always thought much of the widow,
who gave it all.
 ..............

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.  He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.  “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.^"

^{.....................}
 

So during this giving holiday let us remember what real giving looks like.

...and remember who gave it all for us.

 

No Greater Love

I want to share with you an excerpt from No Greater Love, story from Mother Teresa...
~~~~~
One day I found a little girl in the street, so I took her to our children's home. We have a nice place and good food there. We gave her clean clothes and we made her as happy as we could.
After a few hours, the little girl ran away. I looked for her, but I couldn't find her anywhere. Then after a few days, I found her again. And, again, I brought her to our home and told a sister, "Sister, please, follow this child whereever she goes." The little girl ran away again. But the sister followed to find out where she was going and why she kept running away.
She followed the little girl and discovered that the little one's mother was living under a tree in the street. The mother had placed two stones there and did her cooking under that tree.
The sister sent word to me and I went there. I found joy on that little girl's face, because she was with her mother, who loved her and was making special food for her in that little open place.
I asked the little girl, "How is it that you would not stay with us? You had so many beautiful things in our home."
She answered, "I could not live without my mother. She loves me. "That little girl was happier to have the meager food her mother was cooking in the street than all the things I had given her.
While the child was with us, I could scarcely see a smile on her face. But when I found her there with her mother, in the street, they were smiling.
Why? Because they were family.
~~~~~~

Loving strangers can be easy, it is loving those closest to me that can be difficult. I believe, like Mother Teresa, we should start with love in the home.
This poor (literally not spiritually) mother loved her daughter so dearly that she would rather be with her, in the streets, that in a warm shelter with more food than she had ever seen.
Love goes a long way.
It is what this world is lacking.
Start with your children. Make it spread like wildflowers, then watch it grow, into a beautiful world full of love. It is the only way we can create change.
We Love, because HE first Loved us.
1 John 4:19
There is no greater love...

La vita è bella

La vita é bella.

Italian for 

Life is beautiful.

This is how I feel,

at this very moment,

at this very second,

it is the air I breathe.

Trusting.

Knowing.

Believing.

Seeing.

My hope is an anchor.

It pulls me back to Him.

The waves come crashing down,

but I hold strong to the hope.

For I truly can say today,

I have faith

that no matter what,

the circumstances,

the trials,

the heartache,

that

la vita é bella.

St. Thomas Mission Trip, June 2013.

St. Thomas {Part 5} Video of our trip.

Here is a video from our mission trip to St. Thomas.

I hope you enjoy seeing all those smiling faces.

Every time I watch it I want to go back!

Hope everyone is having a glorious week!

Love all my readers.

St. Thomas {Part 2} How it Feels to be Held.

My heart is so full just thinking of all the bright faces below that touched my soul.

Our group held a Vacation Bible School on the Island. We were

blessed to have about 50 kids attend!

Those kids are also some of the happiest kids I have ever met!

I have many amazing stories to tell, but this one I am about to share is a moment

that will stay with me forever.

One of the girls in my class, Le'dejah was joyfully singing along with all the other kids

and unfortunately it got a little rough.....

The sweet girl bumped her ahead, hard, against another girl's.

Instantly, tears filled her big eyes, and before I knew it

her petite arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

Like the instinct of a mother, I embraced her gently, cradling her head.

She pulled her small frame up into my lap and I all I could was hug her ever so close.

I thought of my nieces in that instant, how in times of pain all they need is to be comforted.

...so I did.

I moved to a pew away from my class.

As I sat there, rocking her back and forth, I rubbed her back.

After a moment, she glanced up at me, tears still streaming down.

I wiped them away, hoping to wipe away her pain.

I asked her if she wanted to join the other girls, but Le'dejah refused and leaned her head

back down on my chest.

A few minutes went by, and I had to get up to announce some of the kids from the class.

Instead of asking, I tell her softly, "Le'dejah, you have to go sit back down."

Then her reply stops me in my tracks, "No", as she squeezes tighter.."No one ever holds me."

Every fiber in my body wanted to never let go.

I felt an instant connection between her heart and mine.

The sound of her words pulled and stretched at my heart, and it grew.

I was holding her, but she was also holding me, 

..and holding my heart.

She showed me what it felt like to be held.

Le'dejah will always hold a special place in my heart.

I also think of the relationship between God and us.

There are moments when we hurt and all we want

is to be held...

to be loved...

I realized it didn't matter if they remembered all the bible stories or memory verses we taught.

But the love we showed them in those few days 

is what would make an impression on their very souls!

And through our love, they would see God.

I am forever changed by the experience.

This is Le'dejah, doing her victory dance.

Instant friendship between 3 of my girls and me on the first day.

Two of my sweet boys, Cle'jae and King David.

Jherisa, full of such joy and happiness, look at that smile!

My boys.

My girls.

A moment to freeze-frame time.

Another sweet smile from Le'dejah.

My buddy.

Singing songs with these precious kiddos.

A room full of sweet souls.

My class, the kids I will never forget..

forever belonging 

in my cherished, unforgettable memories.

Behind the Song (Somebody Tell Them)

If you happen to miss yesterday's post about 'Somebody Tell Them', you can read the short post here.

 

Today I want to give you the meaning behind the lyrics.

If you didn't get to listen to the song, you can listen to it here.

 

So here is the short video from the artists. It will only take 60 seconds!

Let the words touch your heart and sit with you over the weekend..

And a glorious weekend I hope it is!

 

Somebody Tell Them

What if everyone kept to themselves?...

What if we all lived in a bubble?...

What if no one spoke to each other?...

How would we know?...

Would we know?...

If we did, would we say it?

Would we tell them?

Should we tell them?

 

Somebody tell them.

 

"Somebody Tell Them" City Harbor

 

 

Silence breaks.

The beautiful lyrics of the truth unfold...

 

SOMEBODY TELL THEM

City HARBOR

 



There’s a child on the subway

His story is written on his face
And the pain he’s felt, is enough to fill a lifetime
But he doesn’t know any other way

Somebody tell them that the lost are saved
Somebody tell them that their debt’s been paid
And let them know love is calling out their names
Somebody tell them, they’re the child of the king
And there is an end to this suffering
And hope that never fades through grace that’s made a way.
Somebody tell them, somebody tell them now.
Oh somebody tell them, somebody tell them now

You can see it on the TV
Or in the middle of a crowded room
There’s a sea of broken hearts, that are longing
To be washed away by an ocean of truth

Somebody tell them that the lost are saved
Somebody tell them that their debt’s been paid
And let them know love is calling out their names
Somebody tell them, they’re the child of the king
And there is an end to this suffering
And hope that never fades through grace that’s made a way.
Somebody tell them, somebody tell them now.
Oh somebody tell them, somebody tell them now

Too many times we’ve all held back
The truth from those put in our path
So let us be the voice of love
Somebody tell them now
Somebody tell them now

Somebody tell them that the lost are saved
Somebody tell them that their debt’s been paid
And let them know love is calling out their names
Somebody tell them, they’re the child of the king
And there is an end to this suffering
And hope that never fades through grace that’s made a way.
Somebody tell them, somebody tell them now.
Oh somebody tell them, somebody tell them now

 

Hurts to Hallelujahs

It sat on the edge of my desk.

Black

and white.

Embossed with a cross on the worn cover, with the title reading..

 

The Holy Bible.

It was a target.

 

  

I was once told that when you are in the light you see more of the dark.

AND

All the trials and tribulations we go through are directly linked to the glory coming our way.

 

Persecution. We should rejoice in it, for great our reward will be in Heaven...

 

Rejoice? Be happy? About persecution?...

Not Just a Good Book

Have you ever realized you are avoiding someone or something with the fear of facing a hard truth? It is like steering clear of a scale, because you might not like what it will read when your feet hit it. The real truth is I discovered...it is there, the weight (the hard truth) whether you choose to acknowledge it or look away. It will hit you, hard, even if you try to avoid it.

I recently watched "Book of Eli" with Denzel Washington. It is such an incredible movie. I highly recommend it for a time when you are wanting to watch something with substance.

Stop here if you have not seen the movie...

Everything is Yours

Yours. Mine. Ours.

I am going to share a story I heard a few weeks ago. A friend was talking with this young child, I think he was six or seven years old. I honestly cannot remember the exact conversation. However, it led to my friend asking the young boy who gave him the shirt he was wearing.

The boy replied, "Jesus gave me this shirt."

"No, who bought you that shirt?" My friend asked again.

Loving a Stranger

Last spring I did a women's bible study over the book of Joshua. One week one of the ladies had to fill in for the woman who usually led our study. I was extremely blessed to hear this incredible story...

That very Sunday before speaking to us was when the following events occurred.
_______________________________________________________________________________
She was leaving church and on her merry way to lunch. Like me, going out to eat after a Sunday sermon is an occasion she looked forward to having. However, her husband had something else in mind. He wanted her to pick up some fried chicken. Disappointed, she tried to put on a happy face and gave into her husband wishes. Being a good, southern christian woman she put on her happy pants... You can picture her face right? It is one of those smiles where she's gritting her teeth.

Unwillingly, she dropped her husband off at the house before hopping over to the nearest grocery store. By herself she drove to the local Brookshire's for some of that good ol' fried chicken her husband's mouth was watering for. On the way she spoke out loud to God "God I know you are with me and I refuse to be in a bad mood. You have some crazy plan for my day."


What do you know, when she got there every other husband must have wanted fried chicken too! The line could have wrapped around the store. As she stepped up to the counter the lady politely told her the wait for chicken would be at least 45 minutes, "Oh joy!" she thought. At this point her day was already shot, might as well shop for groceries during the wait, and that is what she did.

Random Act of Kindness

We encounter thousands of strangers every year, hundreds a month, many a week and for me at least ten a day. Having said that we are given the opportunity to share Christ with strangers several times a week.

I want to challenge any person who reads this to reach out to at least one stranger this week. Maybe you can pay for someone's lunch in the car behind you at McDonald's and leave them a note that says 'God loves you, have a great day!'. Or perhaps letting the person behind you in the grocery store go ahead of you. There are numerous occasions we can take advantage of to shine his light. Be sure to let that stranger know that God loves them in some way...who knows, maybe they need it this week.

Be sure to check out my post about a situation where God used a friend to share His love with a stranger. It is an incredible story..Loving A Stranger (Here is the link)

Mark 16:15 'He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all of creation"

"What if God was One of Us" Joan Osborne This song gives me chills every time I listen to it.