Reach, Receive, and React

Living on a farm in Texas was the slow and sweet kind of upbringing where buttermilk was a staple ingredient, you meet up at the church house 3 times a week, and the men all smell of cut grass and farm animals. It was a peaceful place. The land stretched out for miles and there were no neighbors in sight. It was a simple but beautiful childhood and I could not WAIT to get out of there. I had big dreams that required the opportunities and amenities of the big city. At college I found a nice city boy to lift my veil and I was on my way. Ten years went by and I found myself wrangling two misfit boys and wondering what the next plans were for my life. I started a spiritual journey that I am excited to share and continue with you all.

I reached out to the Lord in prayer to ask for direction and clarity. There was never a time in my life that I didn’t know God. Spiritual teaching and bible doctrine had been poured over me from the time I was born. There was no drama that led me to the Lord. No personal testimony there for me to share with others. So what was my spiritual path? What could I use to bring others to the Kingdom of God?

Isaian 30:19 People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.

No matter where you are in your life reach out to God in prayer. He has promised to answer when we seek direction or clarity.

But what happens if we miss the answer?

When we pray the same prayer without ceasing we must open our minds and hearts and prepare to receive the answers. In my case, a sweet Christian Woman by the name of Gari Meacham asked if I would like to co-write this blog with her. I was so excited to have the opportunity to share my spiritual journey with you all and hopefully share in your journeys as well.

My Grandmother used to tell me the story of a man who was falling from a building and prayed “Lord please save me.” His coat caught on a nail and stopped his fall and he said “Never mind Lord this nail caught me”.

Seize the opportunities that cross our paths and always be vigilant to what message the Lord is trying to send us.

Isaian 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Once we recognize and receive the answers or direction from God we must then react.
No matter where you are in your life, how many people you know or don’t know, or how functional or dysfunctional your life has been we all have lessons to teach and hands to reach out to others. If you know the next step in your spiritual journey share it with others. You might just be the inspiration or motivation they need in that moment. If you are still looking for your direction and clarity it starts in prayer. Reach out to the Lord, he has promised to answer.

This blog is my first step to react to the answers and direction I have received. I am so excited about this journey and even more excited that you all are a part of it.

Blessings,
Jessica

Unexpected Surprises

The other day I left my house at the speed of light. With so many things on my mind and so little time to accomplish them, my driveway speed was topping 20 miles per hour. Suddenly something on my porch caught my eye. I slammed on the brakes, squinting to get a better look. There on on my wicker table sat a beautiful vase of freshly cut orange roses. Smiling on the inside... I realized where they had come from. My next door neighbor Jessica has stunning orange roses lining the sidewalk that leads to her door.

I was so touched by this gesture that I had to get my camera. Usually I think about doing nice things for people, but because I speed through life in high gear, it often remains a thought instead of an action.

This got me thinking. God does nice things for us every day, and it's time we stopped to take a picture and thank Him. Today I decided to thank Him for all the nice things He did in one insignificant day. I better mention that today is a day that I didn't even wash my face. I had a writing deadline to meet, so I threw on sweat pants, hair in a pony tail, and off I went to sit in front of my lap top. As I worked steadily I committed my mind to being thankful. So here's my list:

1. Chirping birds that land on the railing outside my window while I work
2. Fresh brewed iced tea with lots of lemon
3. The sound of my kids' voices as they call throughout the morning
4. The torn, yellowed pages of my bible that always bring new life to each day
5. Oatmeal with fresh blueberries that burst in the microwave
6. A car that works
7. A warm bed to look forward to at night
8. Praying for people as I think of them
9. Breathing (with the help of my inhaler as I've been struggling with asthma)
10. Singing praise to God at the top of my lungs
11. People like Jessica that leave reminders of the goodness of God

So it is with renewed resolve that I thank God for little things. The unnoticed things I like, but forget to say thank you for.

"Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow." James 1: 17

By the way...this neighbor of mine (Jessica) will be joining me as a guest blogger. Weekly you'll hear from one of us, or both of us! I think you'll enjoy her delightful stories and candid insight. We hope to leave you with a vase of bright roses each week with our writing. Maybe an unexpected surprise to lighten your day...

Blessings!
Gari

Taming the Beast

A year and a half ago I smacked up against a situation I didn't know how to handle. Actually, I thought I knew how to handle it, but had I carried out my original plan the consequences could have been disastrous.

After Bobby received the news that he had been chosen to be a coach for the Houston Astros we were elated. We put our house on the market immediately, thinking it would take months, or even a year to sell. It sold in 4 days. During this time I was traveling nonstop as an educational consultant and speaker for Truly Fed Ministries, while Bobby packed up his jeep and moved to Houston; never to return to our home state of Colorado. The problem was who was going to move the contents of our home from Colorado to Texas? We knew we could save thousands of dollars doing it ourselves, and frankly, we didn't have the money to pay someone to move us.

As we looked ahead to making a plan, we realized that scheduling this move was going to be tough. I had a speaking engagement in northern California,would get home on a Sunday night to pack the house into a giant moving van on Monday, then begin the drive from Colorado to Texas by myself,as Bobby was in the middle of his baseball season and couldn't take off to help me drive. Once I got to Texas I'd dump the contents of our truck in a storage garage, and have 5 days to reorganize before leaving to work in Uganda. Needless to say, I was going to be tired!

Before leaving Colorado I met my friend Margaret one day for lunch, and was sharing with her our plan for the move. She looked at me quizzically and said "You're crazy! Why don't I drive the moving van with you to Texas?" I was in shock because honestly, the thought of asking for help never dawned on me. Here she was, mother to two kids, full-time job as an high ranking executive at a large company--offering to help me drive a dirty moving truck to Texas. When I asked her why she would do that her response was "Why wouldn't I?"

I've never forgotten that. She had a thousand good reasons to never even mention helping me. I didn't expect an ounce of help, and she was offering it without an inkling of emotion as to the strain it would put on her family and co-workers.

Margaret and I had quite an adventure. We affectionately named the truck "The Beast" as we rolled down the highway at top speeds of 45 mph. People at gas stations would stop and stare at us, when finally one woman shouted "You two are my heroes!" She even asked to take our picture hanging out the doors of our beloved beast.

I've often thought that if Margaret hadn't been with me I'm certain I would have struggled to stay awake and alert. I had just come off an intense speaking schedule where I hardly slept for days. Every time she took the wheel I slumped into the passenger seat and was asleep mid-sentence. I know I couldn't have physically lasted through the rolling highway that lulled me into a snoring haze.

Whenever I think about that move I think about Margaret. She echoed in her behavior the words of Jesus when He said "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." And although we don't need to drive giant trucks across state borders with people to show we care...sometimes we just need to lay down our lives for a few moments and pay attention to what's going on. A call, a card, a hug.

When we lay down our lives for someone else, what we've laid down is often just what they need to build up. We lay down, friends build up...it's a great way to tame our beasts.

Blessings!
Gari

A Place to Meet

Today I did something crazy. For those of you who know me, you know that's not unusual! I took a lawn chair, my bible, and a notebook--and pulled up to a path of trees. I've walked this path before, as it sits on the edge of a giant paved parking lot next to my beloved church. What fascinates me is this chunk of land is now forgotten. It used to have a farm on it, and from the look of the worn path, possibly a barn. It must have been a grand site. There's a stunning dirt road carved out of stately trees that line what was probably an orchard strewn walkway leading to a farmhouse that once sheltered a family. People homesteaded this land decades ago, long before they knew that one day a church the size of a small city would sit on their humble stretch of land.

It was on this land that I had a "tree meeting" with God. Before you assume I've lost my mind...let me explain. Several months ago I was reeling from a large dose of insecurity. So many questions fighting for validity in my mind. "Am I smart enough to continue to write books?" "Now that I'm in the big leagues of writing, can I keep up with the demands and the work load?" "What if I fail, and let everyone, including God, down?" With the force of a linebacker, the questions keep knocking the breath right out of me.

One day I came upon a scripture that seemed to spread ointment over my chaffed soul.
"Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, For she will be like a tree planted by the water,that extends its roots by a stream, and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought...nor cease to yield fruit." Jeremiah 17

For months I kept looking for "my" tree. I pictured a fabulous oak stretched out over a trickling creek. I thought it may be in the mountains, or on a running trail that I would lean up next to and call mine. After looking for that tree for seven months, I was stunned to find it in a paved parking lot.

Every Monday morning before the sun would rise I would walk this lot, praying for God to shine His favor on the speaking and teaching I would deliver in that church on Monday evenings. Boy did He show up! One week as I strolled the lot praying, I looked up at the string of trees that somehow I had missed for months. As I meandered through them, the sun seemed to shine so thick over one of the tree's branches that it looked like it was coated in gold and caramel--gooey enough to lick and bright enough to grab sunglasses to block the glare. I stood there speechless, and quietly uttered a prayer, "Is this my tree God?" The goosebumps on my skin told me it was.

So this morning I plopped a lawnchair in the back of my jeep, and sat down next to my tree for some time of peaceful insight and praise. The questions that beat me up still surface now and then, but I know the truth that silences them. I nudged next to my tree outlined by a black paved parking lot and busy highway...relishing the new place I have to meet with God. Sometimes He shows up in unexpected paths and parking lots...

Blessings!
Gari

test run

Back on Track!

To all my blogging friends...so sorry for the time that has lapsed between my last post. I got a new lap top, and for some reason this new computer wouldn't let me post my blogs. Truthfully, even my Geek Squad buddy at Best Buy couldn't figure the problem out, but thankfully I think we're back on track! Look for some brand new blogs coming up in the next week or two!
Big Hugs,
Gari
(No...I'm not in the vintage picture of the cheerleaders...Smile...)