Randomness: 10 Facts About Me

1.  I danced (on-stage) with Michael Jackson when I was a 10 (he was 14).

2.  I was in a television commercial in which I told my mother, "Why don't you just butt out?!" (it was an anti-smoking commercial)

3. My sisters and I used to make up dance routines and have our own dance contests.  And, one time, when my mom wasn't home, we performed a singing concert, using the living room coffee table as a stage!!!

4. My dad was a "mad scientist" for his own Gorilla Girl show, in which he turned a beautiful woman into a gorilla...  and I got to see the show all by myself, one time, and ran screaming out of the showroom when the gorilla came out.

5. It's my life's ambition to play The Entertainer on the piano.

6. I have twin sisters in heaven.

7. Jesus is my life, breath and joy!  He is my encourager, sustainer, and the One in whom I completely trust.  (There's no one on earth I trust as much as I trust Him.)

8.  My all-time favorite treat is black licorice ice cream.

9.  When I give a gift, I prefer to do it secretly.

10. One time, I snuck in my bedroom window (on the second floor)... really, really, really late at night... and knocked the clock off the window sill, and it fell into the swimming pool!  I had to go back down and fish it out with the pool net… All the while, my dad was asleep on the couch in the family room, right below my bedroom!!!

Can you name ten random facts about yourself?

walk a little straighter, daddy

"Walk a little straighter, Daddy.  You're leading me..."

it's an old song that tells the story about a boy whose father is drinker...  he drinks to get drunk, and makes the boys's life miserable.  the song is pretty powerful.  as the boy grows towards manhood, he pleads with his dad to "walk a little straighter."

my dad would be gone for weeks at a time, leaving my mom home with little babies to care for.  later on, my stepfather would get off work late at night, getting home hours after his shift was over.  i knew when he got home, though, because he bounced from one side of the hallway to the other, all the way to his room.  (i guess he thought it was funny.  i didn't.)  neither set of footprints led anywhere i wanted to go.  sadly, i did plenty of "trippin' and stumblin'" until i came to know Jesus.

i shared this with a friend...

there's a Dad whose footsteps are reliable every single day. the Bible says that God's word is a lamp to our feet, and a light for our path. it also says that He leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. i'm kinda' glad that the father i had on earth wasn't perfect... (it took me a long time to come to that)... if it wasn't for my father's crooked path, i might not have had the eyes to see the absolute perfect path of my Heavenly Father.

i love how the song ends... the boy, now a man, has determined in his heart to walk a different path than the one his father made for him. that happened to me when i was younger, too. i was sure i'd do things differently.  it wasn't until i came to know Jesus, though, that i was really able to make good on that goal.  i don't always do things perfectly. but, with the help of my Heavenly Father, i have hope that i'm doing it better each day.

Wisdom

what's it mean?

1. the ability to make sound judgments

2. insight or intuition

3. extensive knowledge

which of those sounds most appealing to you?

they are all definitions of wisdom. and they can be yours!!!

"how?" you say?  well, let me tell ya'!

there's a book called, the Bible. and it's a pretty big Book - lots of reading. BUT, there's a little book within the big Book called, Proverbs. there are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. and they're short, easy-to-read chapters.

if you were to read one chapter of Proverbs each day, by the end of one month you'd be well on your way to amassing tons of wisdom!

what? you're not up for reading the Bible every day?

ok. well, what about... reading just when you felt like it (?) and you could try to "feel like it" once or twice a week. and on the days that you feel like it, you just say to yourself, "what day of the month is it?" and the answer is (for example), "the 23rd." so, on the 23rd, you would open your Bible to the book of Proverbs, and find the big 23 (indicating chapter 23), and just read that. and the next time you feel like it, you say, "what day of the month is it?" and your answer is (for example), "the 12th." so you read chapter number 12 in the book of Proverbs. (yes. you can do that. there's not some Bible-reading angel that comes and thumps you on the head cause you're reading it out of sequence.)

then, you know what's happened? you've read two whole chapters in the Bible. and from those two whole chapters, you have learned something new about life, love and yourself. imagine what would happen if you kept doing that for a long time! wow!! people would go, "hmmm.... that person seems to have incredible insight!" (imagine that!)

King of Glory

The earth is the Lord's and everything in it,

the world and all who live in it;

for He founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the waters.

Who may ascend to the hill of the Lord?

Who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart.

who does not lift up his soul to an idol

or swear by what is false.

He will receive blessing from the Lord

and vindication from God his Savior.

Such is the generation of those who seek Him,

who seek Your face, O God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O you gates,

be lifted up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord strong and mighty,

the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates,

lift them up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is He, this King of glory?

The Lord Almighty -

He is the King of glory.

~psalm 24

I love this psalm! It's such an encouragement to me. It's also a convicting reminder. Everything that "is" belongs to the Lord. He made it, and He blessed it; it's His. He doesn't treat us as our souls deserve. He has "blessed us with every spiritual blessing under heaven." We turn from Him, curse His name, and go our own way; and, yet, He calls out to us, and draws us to Himself "with lovingkindness." It's amazing. And He doesn't regard us as puppets. We have free will.

How do we come into His holy presence? Not by our own good works, that's for sure. All that's required is that we open the gates of our hearts. That we seek His face. Turn to Him, and receive salvation... honor and blessing... vindication and reward. Wow. That God Almighty would seek to show His love for me... and allow me to receive it!! Turning to Him means turning away from my sin. And when I do that, trusting in the Lord Jesus to save me, my hands are washed in the blood of His sacrifice on the cross. Clean hands and a pure heart.

"Who is this King of glory? The Lord Almighty - He is the King of glory."

glory - (n) splendor; fame; a state of well-being. (v) be proud of; rejoice in

Jesus Christ - King of glory!!

What are you longing for?

Did you know that if you...

"Delight yourself in the Lord;

...He will give you the desires of your heart." (?)

It's true!!! It says it that in Psalm 37 (verse 4).

Now wait a minute... you say you desire to be with *this* guy, or *that* girl... or you want *those* pants, or *that* bling... or whatever it is that's got your heart going yakety-yak... BUT... the Word says... Delight yourself in the Lord... AND He will give you the desires of your heart.

What's God like? Who is He, anyway? Are you *delighted* by what He says and does? Have you made Him a priority in your life? The Bible says that until you do, you won't find the fulfillment you're looking for... not in that guy, or that girl, or those clothes, or that stuff... BUT *when* you do (find pleasure in seeking God), LOOK OUT!!!... 'Cause the desire of your heart is what He's all about!

It's in the Word!

Higher

"My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the Lord. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." ~Isaiah 55:8-9

Isaiah was just a guy. And the Lord spoke to him. He said, "Don't let the world around you get you down." You are not defined by what's going on around you. It's what's on the inside that matters. And, more importantly, who you are in Christ.

Are you His? Trust Him.

Can't hear Him? Call out to Him in faith.

Couldn't care less? Well, my friend, I do.

That's what it's all about.

He thinks differently.

He's way beyond my imagination.

His ways and thoughts are higher.

What a relief!

When Jesus Calls

"Tell Him I'm not home!"  Have you ever thought about that?  That just popped into my head.  I was actually gonna' write something like, "When Jesus calls, will you be ready?"  But the reality is, many of us have already chosen to live with the attitude of avoidance where He's concerned.  BUT...  this is a new day.  I'm here to challenge you to start it out with a sincere examination of where the Lord (if He *is* Lord) fits in your life.  For the record, in case you didn't know, He is absolutely Lord in my life.  Although, I must admit, too often it doesn't always show.  Did you know that Lord means master?  But, get this...  Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants - but friends."  So, even though He's Lord and Master, He relates to us on a level of humility and grace that accepts us as no lower than Himself.  Don't get me wrong...  He IS God Almighty.  (Let us never forget.)  But He is also your brother, Savior, and friend... if you belong to Him.

So... when Jesus calls, will you answer?