I must confess

Okay, this is my own response to my last blog. You know it is so easy to preach grace and encouragement to people because I really believe it and know that God is able to pick us up out of our mess. However, shortly after writing my last blog about not letting someone count you out, I did just that. I actually wish that I had only counted a basketball team out (Go Bucks!!! Final Four Baby!!!), but this time it was a person.

Sometimes it's just so natural to call a game when the cards are stacked against someone. Grace is a lot easier to extend to a stranger, but when it hits home, that's when the odds really seem insurmountable. It is those moments in our lives when we look at someone else's mess and literally turn up our nose. That's what I did. I turned up my nose, scrunched up my face, and said "yuck, what a waste!" (This is the transparent real talk that I'm known for) Truth is I'm glad that Jesus didn't say that when he was looking at me. He didn't say, "She did what?!?! Why would I waste my blood on her?" It's a good thing that I'm not God because that is probably what I would say.

The amazing thing about grace is that it literally cleanses you from all your filth and shame. Grace knows where you've been, what you've done, and how long you did it. Yet, it still decides to call you, choose you, and cover you. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. God knew your mess when he called you, but He also knew that His grace really was sufficient. I guess when I'm having those prideful, self-righteous moments, God reminds me that the same grace that has kept me from my sins (it is by grace that we are saves not of works, lest any man should boast), is the same grace that is able to deliver others from their sins. Grace is so powerful that it doesn't just save us in our mess, but it truly delivers us from our mess.

"Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom 5:20-21

Don't let them count you out

Last night I received a text message to let me know that Ohio State was down by 20 points in their game against Tennessee. Being that I was born in Ohio and lived in Columbus for sometime. I can't help but be an avid Buckeye fan. Win or lose, "Go Bucks!" So when we were down in the first half, a diehard OSU hater decided that it would be a good time to gloat. Of course, I responded with "We can come back." Truth is you can't call a game at half time because only the final score counts.

It's really the same with our lives. Sometimes we screw up in the first half and things aren't going to way we would like them to, but we can still make a come back. Don't let someone count you out just because you are down right now. When the enemy, the avid hater of your soul, wants to gloat, accuse and beat you down, just know that battle is not over and you can still win. How many times do we hear the voices in the background rehearsing our past mistakes? Just know you can still make a comeback. Take a lesson from the Buckeyes and don't let the enemy count you out a halftime, when only the final score counts.

Take the lead

This past weekend I went swing dancing. It is one of the Saturday night activities that I enjoy. Honestly, I'm pretty good on my feet. I've decided that I'm going to have big band at my wedding reception so we can all swing dance. (Not that I'm planning a wedding, or have a ring, or a man....lol)

At any rate, I've made a few observations with swing dancing. For starters, the man must lead. It is not totally impossible to for the woman to lead. I mean I can tell a man how to turn me or where to put his hand, but for us to have a smooth dance, he's got to do it himself. He's got to take the lead.

In today's society, men have stopped taking the lead and many of us women don't know how to follow. But in swing dancing, it's not so. There have been those times when I didn't think the guy was doing the right move so I just put my hand where it was supposed to go, but it just didn't work. He wasn't ready and it just screwed up the whole move. If the man doesn't know what he's doing, the woman never gets a chance to strut her stuff. She's got to keep up with him. However, if a man really knows what he's doing, an inexperienced woman will look great, as long as she follows his lead.

This past weekend, I found it very interesting that I danced with a guy who's moves were too passive and subtle. So as we danced, I was doing guess work. I was guessing where he wanted me to go and in turn I took the dance over a bit more. It's actually the same in relationships. When a man is passive and a woman sees no leadership, she instictively takes over. A man is her security, but when he's not leading she becomes more dominate to give the relationship the stability. However, it's still unnatural.

I also got the change to dance with several guys who know what they were doing. I enjoyed dancing with this one in particular because every move was pointed and confident. I had no question of what he wanted and no problem following his lead. He would guide me in a spin and was quick to snap me back. He was confident in who he was and it freed me to be, it freed me to dance and strut in all my glory. Honestly, I loved every moment of it.

It really is a myth that women don't know how to be submissive and let the man be the head. Gentlemen, I invite you to start taking the lead.

Apples and Wine

I thought this was pretty accurate so I decided to share...lol.

Apples and Wine Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

Now Men.... Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with. Share this with all the good apples you know.

I did say pretty accurate not a 100%. lol

Coach Dungy on pain

This is a portion of a speech that Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy gave at the Athletes in Action breakfast Saturday morning before the Super Bowl. In this speech, he is talking about his youngest son Jordan who suffers from a rare congenital conditions that causes him not to feel pain...

"He feels things, but he doesn't get the sensation of pain," Dungy said. The lessons learned from Jordan, Tony Dungy said, are many. "That sounds like it's good at the beginning, but I promise you it's not," Dungy said. "We've learned a lot about pain in the last five years we've had Jordan. We've learned some hurts are really necessary for kids. Pain is necessary for kids to find out the difference between what's good and what's harmful."
Jordan, Dungy said, loves cookies.

"Cookies are good," Dungy said, "but in Jordan's mind, if they're good out on the plate, they're even better in the oven. He will go right into the oven when my wife's not looking, reach in, take the rack out, take the pan out, burn his hands and eat the cookies and burn his tongue and never feel it. He doesn't know that's bad for him." Jordan, Dungy said, "has no fear of anything, so we constantly have to watch him."

The lesson learned, Dungy said, is simple.

"You get the question all the time, 'Why does the Lord allow pain in your life? Why do bad things happen to good people? If God is a God of love, why does he allow these hurtful things to happen?''' Dungy said. "We've learned that a lot of times because of that pain, that little temporary pain, you learn what's harmful. You learn to fear the right things. "Pain sometimes lets us know we have a condition that needs to be healed. Pain inside sometimes lets us know that spiritually we're not quite right, and we need to be healed and that God will send that healing agent right to the spot. "Sometimes, pain is the only way that will turn us as kids back to the Father."

I know that I'm not the only one who feels pain; we all do. I thought this was a good reminder that the pain in our lives does serve a purpose and is only temporary. We learn from it. We learn what not to touch and what not to do. Pain is a teacher that we must listen to. Sometimes we are trying so hard to things that are harmful to us and pain drives us to let those things and people go. So praise God in the midst of your pain because He is still guiding, teaching, and controling your situation. God knows what is best.

He gives and takes away

Today has been a very interesting day. I'm a very happy to announce that I'm a new auntie. My sister Tracy had a 7 lb baby boy today about 11:50 am EST. So of course I'm glad that a new life has been brought into the world. There's one more baby in the family.

Maybe two hours after I was greeted with that news, I learned that a co-worker passed this morning. Kimella Rush now rest awaiting her Lord. Her toils in this life our over, her work on earth is done, and her battle with cancer is over. To live is Christ and to die is gain.

This song describes the day...

Blessed Be Your Name
by Matt Redman

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to sayLord,
blessed be Your name

How bad do you want it?

This is the time of year that we all make resolutions of what we want for the new year. Some want to shed 20 lbs, get out of debt, go back to school, find a husband/wife, or whatever else you can think of. We all have goals that we want to reach. My question is how bad do you want it.

This year I decided that I want to lose a few pounds and when my alarm clock went off. I couldn't seem to get out of the bed to do tae-bo with Billy. Instead, I decided to spend part of my lunch walking. As I was walking, I started thinking of this song by Tim McGraw. It's the first track on the cd, "How bad do you want it?" Then it clicked. How bad do you really want it?

God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness. There are so many promises that God has given us, but the question is how bad do you want them. Are you willing to go in and possess the land? Caanan was the land of promise, but the Israelites still had to go in and possess it. God had promised victory, but they still had to fight the battle.

How bad do you want to shed those pound? Bad enough to pass up the dessert and spend some time in exercise. How bad do you want to get out debt? Bad enough to cut out that bi-weekly trip to the beauty shop or nail salon. You looking for a mate? Are you willing to work on yourself to be that man/woman of God.

Sometimes we are looking for God to just come down from heaven, but we are already seated in heavenly places next to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We bring heaven to earth with our faith and speaking the word of God ("Whatever you speak shall come to pass"). Jesus has done his work, then he filled us with the Holy Spirit so we can continue it ("greater works than these"). God has empowered you. So don't sit back thinking...is God going to do this for me. He already has. The question is...How bad do you want it?