In Just a Moment

Jan17

We have all heard the saying…”It is not the breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away” but have you ever really stopped to reflect on the moments? All too often we take the “awe” moments for granted. In-fact they pass us by and all we don’t even realized they’ve occurred…

If you think about it some truly AMAZING events have occurred in a moment!!!

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and lighting on him. (Matthew 3:16)
Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has
healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment. (Matthew 9:22)
Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that
moment (Matthew 17:18)
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. (Matthew 27:51)

Wow…moments with eternal impact captured and recorded in God’s word!!!

I have experienced some AMAZING moments; life events worth recording:

The moment I asked Jesus to be my personal Lord and Saviour
The moment I said I do to Richard Dallas Smith
The moment my first-born, Tori Rene Smith arrived
The moment the doctor said “It’s a Girl
The moment Cheyenne Mary Darrell, our granddaughter came into our lives

But, I have also had some pretty incredible moments which occur in every day life that take my breath away:

The moment I walk in the door after a long day at work and am greeted by the sounds, sights, and smells of home
The moment Richard walks up behind me while I am cooking dinner. wraps his arms around me and says “I love you”
The moment I pick up the phone to hear, “Hi Meme, whatcha doing?”
The moment when all my family is here and I realize I am surrounded by laughter

Wow…what can you do to impact a life

In Just A Moment

Love Lee ♥

Craving More

Jan16

So you say to yourself, “I will have just a small bite of that cake or pie. Just a sliver…” Then as you finish that sliver you find yourself wanting more?

It is human nature to crave those things in life that evoke pleasure and comfort; those things that satisfy our fleshly desires. How often is it though that we have to make ourselves eat those things that bring healing and health to our bodies? I struggle in this area!

My daughter Brandi has taught me so much about clean eating; organic and all natural foods. I watch her prepare her meals adding only the freshest and healthiest ingredients which I might add taste incredible! So, why is it I find myself craving those foods which are unhealthy and un-natural? Because those foods are satisfying, familiar and comforting. They are the foods associated with an emotion embedded deep within the fibers of my being. I am working on that…I am trying to teach my body to crave what it needs for health and well-being…

So, what about Spiritual food? Why is it we find it so easy to digest a book or magazine over the Word of God? Why is it we find it a challenge to pick up our Bibles and feed ourselves the pure and natural food for our souls?

Whether it is food for the body or food for the soul…We eat what makes us “feel good”…Not always what we need. Now don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of scriptures in the Bible that make me feel comforted, peaceful, and loved…those are not the scriptures I am referring to. It is those scriptures that pierce the core of my being with conviction. These scriptures much like the healthy foods…once devoured and digested begin to bring about results…

Sparkling eyes
Glowing Skin
A Healthy Heart
Deeper Breaths
Stronger muscles
Over-all sense of well-being

Then, before we know it, We find ourselves…

Craving More!

This song says it all for me…

As the Deer Pants for the Water (Click to Listen)

Love Lee ♥

Back in the Saddle Again

Jan15

How many times have you found yourself passionate about a cause, hobby, life style or other interest only to wake up and realize the flames of passion is no longer blazing but is now smoldering in the ashes?

What was once a passion disappears over time when the subtleties of procrastination began to encroach on my thought processes.

“I’ll start my diet tomorrow”
“I’m too tired to read my Bible”
“I’ll blog after I ____________.”

Yep, I had too many answers for that last one. Over the past year I have filled in the blank with:

Mow the yard
Paint the Cabana
Paint the Kitchen
Wrap the Christmas presents
Drink another cup of coffee

The list could go on and on as I sit and think of all my excuses I’ve used over the past year!

I love to write…I love to minister…I love to share my trials, joys, successes, and failures in hopes I can make an impact on one for the Kingdom of God.

Therefore, I am stoking those smoldering ashes, getting rid of the list of excuses and I am…

Back in the Saddle Again

Won’t You Come Ride With Me…

Love Lee ♥

The House is On Fire

Aug9

What an awesome lesson my daughter presented to “The Fall Out” (a group of 5th, 6th, and 7th graders) last night. Below is the summary of the lesson written by my daughter Brandi Booth…

Great Bible study and fellowship time tonight! Tonight we talked about Trust & Obey! “The House is on Fire” activity went something like this:
There were four different rooms in our house that had an adult in each waiting for the kids to come and try to round them up. The adults were instructed that no matter what…they were to ask questions only…and refuse to be lured out of the house.
The Fall Out was told that they had 2 minutes to get everyone out of the house, before it “burned down.” The only rules for them were (1) they couldn’t tell the adults that the house was on fire! (2) they were not allowed to use force!
After the two minutes, and a million scams, bribes, and attempts to get the adults to evacuate…the house “burned down” with everyone in it!

Sometimes God wants us to “move” and we may not always know why…but ultimately if we stay in one spot and refuse to budge and only ask questions…eventually the house will burn down. We have to TRUST God! He sees the big picture…actually, He’s the Artist! He knows the right timing for everything! As hard as it may seem, even when we don’t understand something (or like it!)…we should OBEY God. Just like The Fall Out demonstrated tonight…God will do everything He can to get you to move…but, ultimately obedience is up to us and if we wait to long…we may be ignoring His protection…or miss out on a blessing!

Whenever we submit to His will and plan, it brings glory and honor to His Name through us! That is a powerful witness and testimony! Are you limiting yourself to what God has planned for you by your refusal to move or are you delaying His blessings by asking questions? Your next question could be the last chance you get to obey! Trust in Him and obey His calling for your life.

Is Your House On Fire?

Love Lee ♥

It is OK to Be Out of Control

Aug1

Control Freaks…Do you know one or perhaps you are one!

“Now, it is only natural to want be in control of your own life, but when you feel you have to have control of everyone else’s life, you have a problem. These are the key aspects of a Control Freak. They have a driving need to create your agenda, they insist on controlling all their interactions with you, basically, they have to run the show and call they shot – OR ELSE.”~ Socyberty

“Are You a Control Freak?” is an incredible article on what makes a Control Freak tick and how to deal with them..I highly recommend this read!

We all know a Control Freak…It is the person who must know every aspect of what you are doing and proceeds to provide feedback or even tell you how to do it…They have no respect for boundaries and need to know all the details.The Control Freak will pump you for information by asking lots of questions…Because knowledge is power!

Control Freaks can be a family member, friend, boss, co-worker, teacher, fellow Christian or pastor…. Yes, you read correctly…pastor!

If you struggle with a Control Freak…”Sometimes, in order to keep your self-worth, and not be humiliated or bulldozed by their controlling ways, the best thing you can do is to walk out, turn that phone off, or just generally take yourself out of that situation. As easy as it may seem to be to just get angry back at them, it really does no good, and your best frame of mind is to remind yourself that they are stuck in that world of self-pity, and you are not. Even if they try to goad you by saying you are to chick to stay and fight, walk away. You will have one in essence anyways.” ~Socyberty

If you struggle with being a Control Freak…this scripture will help!

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

IT IS OK TO BE OUT OF CONTROL!

Love Lee ♥

Can’t Take Them Back

Jul31

All to often we forget how our spoken word impacts others. And, every day we decide whether the impact will be positive or negative. But, what we have no control over is the lasting effects of our words.

King Solomon said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21) and he was sooo right!

Think back to your childhood to a time when someone said something to you that still impacts you today. I can think of many…In-fact, I can think of words from a week, month, and year ago.

So, how do you speak to others today? Are your words positive and uplifting or are the negative and cutting? There are several ways you can have a positive impact with the spoken word.

Speak in Love
Practice Giving Compliments
Practice Responding rather than Reacting
Learn to say I am sorry
Learn to say I forgive you
Practice positive Self-Talk
Remember to say Thank You

The words which flow from your mouth could possible impact others for generations and once those words leave your mouth…

YOU CAN’T TAKE THEM BACK…

Love Lee ♥

My 911 Call

Jul30

Do you ever feel overwhelmed, lost, uncertain about the direction you life is going?
Do you have bills that need to be paid, a heavy workload, or just seem bombarded by life?
In other words…Do you feel like you life and everything in it is falling apart?

It could be time for 911…Psalms 91:1

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Dwell:
     To reside
     To live as a permanent resident
Abide:
     To remain in a place
     To continue to be sure or firm; endure.

Nothing can harm you Beneath His Sheltering Wing!!!

911…Give Him A Call

Love Lee ♥

Just Like That We’re Home

Jul28

Wow…who would have thought a phone call could create such a drastic change in our life?

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In September 2011 we made the decision to sell our home so we listed our place and within 30 days…It was sold! We packed up all our belongings and moved the necessities into our motor home and everything else into storage…We were going to build a house!!!

We got busy… got a survey, found our builder, created the plans, took the plans to the architect, got pre-approved for financing, and ordered an appraisal. During all this Richard was out and about driving around (waiting for me to get off work) when he ended up in a neighborhood several of our friends either currently live in or use to live in. As he was driving past one of our favorite houses he noticed a “For Sale” sign in the front yard but it also had on it “Contract Pending”. As he drove past the house the owner was in the front yard and stopped Richard to see if he needed help finding someon…Richard said “No, I was driving around waiting for wife to get off work.” Then Richard told the owner of the house we had friends that once lived in his house and that our children play there when they were little girls. He also shared with the owner how much we loved his home and inquired if the contract on the house was solid. The owner said it didn’t look like the financing was going to go thru. So, Richard left his name and phone number with the owner and said, “call me if the contract falls thru, we really love this house and would be interested in taking a look at it”.

We continued moving forward with plans to build. We met with the lender and they were making preparations to get the appraisal on our house plans. The day after meeting with the lender I arrived at work to find a voice mail on my phone. It went something like this…

Lee Ann, this is Carol. I understand you and Richard are interested in our old place. The funding did not go through and the contract expires today. If you are interested in the place, I need to know today.

Wow…my head was spinning! What to do…What to do.

First person I called was my daughter Brandi and talked to her since our plans were to build on their ranch. She said, “Mom, you have always loved that house…Go For It”. Then, I called Richard and asked him if he was interested in looking at it. His response was, “I will meet you there at lunch”.

So, for lunch on Thursday I met my Daughter, Granddaughter and husband and we viewed the house and signed a contract. In the contract we requested to keep the fridge, washer and dryer, along with all the curtains and…lease the house until it closed. The sellers agreed to the terms and just like that…We had a contract!

On Friday, I called the lender and asked if the house plans had been faxed to the appraiser’s office. She said, “no, they are laying on my desk in front of me to be sent”. I asked her to switch gears because we were going to purchase a home.

Exactly one week later, the movers delivered our furniture to the house. Our things were set up, boxes unpacked, and the house was decorated…

JUST LIKE THAT WE’RE HOME!!!

We so enjoy our new place! The house is perfect for our lifestyle with plenty of room to entertain. Open concept, lots of windows, 3 acres, a pool with cabana, and a workout room off the 3 car garage. I am now 10 minutes from my job and 5 minutes from local shops and grocery store.

Today, I am right where God wants me. He opened the door, provided the path, and cleared the way. EVERYTHING fell right into place and…

JUST LIKE THAT WE’RE HOME!!!

Love Lee ♥

Treat Them Like Royalty

Jul27

Oh my, company is coming!!!

So the ritual begins…

You clean the house…Fresh towels in the bathroom, clean linens on the bed, scrub the commodes, spray a few squirts of room freshener and light a candle.
Then you begin meal preparation…Plan the menu, buy the food, bake a dessert, and pull out your best dishes…

Whoah…Wait!!!

While you want your company to feel at home, comfortable, and be impressed, I ask what about the ones you love and live with; those who are your world? Routinely we should do the very things for our family we typically do for company because after all aren’t they the most important people in your world and don’t you want them to know it?

Here are a few ideas to make your family feel special:

Put out fresh towels in the bathroom for your children
Routinely change their linens
Place a vase of fresh-cut flowers next to their bed with a love note on their pillow
Burn a candle
Turn off the TV and turn on some music
Served a sit down meal on your best dishes
Bake some cookies
Put a roast, chicken, or ham in the oven so the house if filled with the aroma of a home cooked meal

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1Peter 4:10

Do for your family what you would do for company…

Treat Them Like Royalty!!!

Love Lee ♥

Pace Yourself

Jul27

So much to do and so little time!!!

In my younger years I worked from sun up to sun down and took very few breaks in between. Oh, and it would drive me CRAZY to be running my legs off only to see my precious husband in his recliner with a bowl of popcorn watching television. Then one day he said to me, “Babe, come sit on the porch with me and have a cup of coffee.” I responded with…”Are you kidding? I have too much to do to sit and drink coffee all day”. His response was…

“Pace Yourself”

He added, “You may only have 24 hours in a day but you have 365 days in a year…”

Wow…something snapped in my pea brain and I realized I had been so engrossed in tasks for those I loved that I had missed out on the moments and memories of being with my loved ones. I had mastered the art of “being busy” but had totally missed “being available”!!! It reminds me of the chorus to a song by Alabama…

I’m in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life’s no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I’m in a hurry and don’t know why

Relaxation did not come easily or immediately for me after my realization… It has taken me years of practice; forcing myself to sit down, relax, sip a cup of coffee, and engage in conversation. But as I relaxed, I noticed Richard spent less time in his recliner and more time helping with the house work, laundry, yard work, washing the car, and even shopping allowing us more “together time”.

There are only 24 hours in a day…no more and no less! What you do with your 24 hours is a choice. Perhaps you need to choose to