spring has sprung

The past two days have been the first signs of spring in the Texas Panhandle.  The weather here has been amazingly beautiful.  For the past many weeks, it would warm up only to cool down and snow again within a few days.  It has been some crazy weather here!!  Although I love spring days, I don't love the wind that usually comes with spring days here in the Panhandle.  Just when we think we have the perfect temperatures, the wind can blow like nobody's business.  It can make being outside nothing short of miserable.  However, the perfect temperatures yesterday were not dampened by the wind.  All was perfect!!

I was reminded yesterday of how much I love beautiful weather.  With the gorgeous day came a slew of kids to my house after school.  Cydney and I worked on cleaning out flower beds (I detest!!), while the kids had a heated basketball game on the driveway.  I love being the neighborhood house the kids come to for play.  I even looked out at one point, while cooking dinner, and the kids were having a water balloon fight in the backyard.  It wasn't quit that warm, but isn't it funny that when the first spring day rolls around...we drag out our shorts, tank tops, and think its time to swim.

Spring also brings new life.  As I mentioned earlier, I detest yard work.  Yes, I want a beautiful yard, and I don't mind it so much when it's green and gorgeous, but the preparations for a beautiful yard are not fun to me.  I come from a mother and grandmother with AMAZING!!! yards.  But mine...never looks that way.  I am never happy with the final product.  Last summer my mom even helped me....it wasn't quit the same.  It didn't have the beauty of their yards.  So, I will try again this summer.

But the good news is...when my life gets withered and yucky, like my yard and flower beds are looking right, I don't have to stay that way.  Thankfully, my amazing Jesus died hung and died on the cross so that I would not have to live my life dried up and withered.  That I have living water to refresh and renew my dried spirit.  Isn't that amazing!!!  There is absolutely NO REASON for me to be angry, depleted, offended, upset, hurt, sad, or any other negative emotion because my Jesus took that all to the cross for ME and YOU!!!  

As we approach Easter weekend...enjoy the time with your family as we celebrate with our traditions.  But, STOP!!!  Don't just go through the motions of the holiday...take a moment to think of the amazing gift given to us at Easter.

Be blessed...You are a blessing!!

going through the motions

Isn't it funny that when God really wants to get our attention, He is relentless. I mean, He like NEVER GIVES UP!!!

When we are in the car there is always A LOT going on. We are all talking, usually all at one time. Cydney likes to be the center of attention. Actually, she demands it!! Which is fine, we all love it, and give it to her.

If the radio is even on, it is playing softly in the background and usually goes unnoticed.

Today...there was ONE song that was playing on K-LOVE every single time it got quiet enough to hear the radio playing. The first time I heard it I listened and sang along, the second time I thought WOW...it's that song again. The third time, as I was heading home from town, I knew that God was using this song to speak to me and I better listen. These are the words that spoke to me...

I don't want to spend my whole asking

"What if I had given everything,

instead of going through the motions?"

Being that I was driving home from town, I had about some time to really listen. Where are the kids and noise you ask...sleeping. SSSHHHHH!!!

Let me start by saying that God has really been speaking to me lately. Or...maybe I just quietted myself enough to listen. Whatever the case may be, it has made me stop and think and pray and get excited and think and pray and....

Am I just going through the motions of life? or am I soaking it all in and when this life is over I will have no regrets about how I have spent my days here on Earth.

I have to admit, there are days that I get to the end of the day and when I finally stop, I know that I have just gone through the motions....get up, work, homework, supper, baths, and fall into bed completely exhausted. If I take a critical look at these days, these would be the days that probably didn't go so smoothly.

The past weeks, God has really been pulling from the place that I find so comforting. I go back there so easily. But what God is speaking to me is that He has so much planned for me, but I have to get UP and move to get there. And yes, it might be hard and painful, but so worth it!!! The things He is revealing to me are so fun and exciting that I can hardly wait to let you in on it, but the time is not yet.

At the end of the day, I want to have given my all to Him. Having no regrets for the day. Finding joy and celebrating. I don't want to think, if only I had given my all to Him.

be blessed,