Tag Archive | God’s Creation

You Are Gifted

I am sure you have heard of classes for the “Gifted and Talented”. Hmmm, so if you were not placed in one of these classes as a child does that mean you were not gifted? And, if you are not considered “Gifted and Talented” you may wonder…”Why am I Here” or “What is my Purpose in Life”?

While I was placed in accelerated classes in school and I have a very creative mind… I have found myself asking those very questions. However, it is when I lose site of the fact that I am fearfully and wonderfully made I find myself asking those questions. You see when God formed me in our Mother’s womb He didn’t just give me my physical and emotional characteristics. Nope…He also gifted me with our Spiritual Gifts.

Frequently I have to remind myself 2 things about Spiritual Gifts…

I have Spiritual gifts
So does everyone else

Yep, that’s right, I am not the only one and not everyone is blessed with the same Spiritual Gift. While my strongest Spiritual Gifts are Leadership and Teaching, my weakest came in at Mercy. This does not mean I do not have the capacity to show Mercy but it is not my greatest strength. I now know why I stink at showing empathy but instead want to teach lead or teach someone on what they could do to cope with or fix their issues.

Learning this about myself has been so liberating!!! I no longer have to measure up to other’s expectations.

The only measure for my life is God’s measure!!! I don’t have to:

Do things according to other’s expectations
Have to a certain amt of money
Agree with or be friends with certain people
Live in a certain neighborhood
Have a certain job
________(fill in the blank with what others expect or try intimidate you with)

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4).

So, the next time you feel like you must measure up, remember…

You Are Gifted!!!

To discover your Spiritual Gifts: Spiritual Gifts, Test, Inventory Online Survey/Questionnaire

Love Lee ♥

There Is A Winner Within

Sep19

Wow, who would have thought…

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr takes the stage and appears to be the least likely person to audition much less win America’s Got Talent.

As you will see in the video, none of the judges were expecting to hear such a spectacular audition. In-fact their body language and reaction to Landau’s appearance indicates they have absolutely no confidence in his ability. In-fact, the judges had judged him before he had even opened his mouth.

As I watched this episode of America’s Got Talent and then watched again in the video, I couldn’t help but wonder…How would we respond if Landau had walked through the doors of our church and sat down next to us? Oh I know, we all would like to believe we would welcome him with open arms. But, would we really?

As much as Christians hate to admit it we are such a judgmental group of people. I’m sure you are thinking… “Not Me!” Are you sure about that? Below are some scenarios, as you read them being totally honest with yourself…What would be your gut reaction to this person who decides to sit next to you in church?

A 15-year-old female wearing Daisy Dukes
A derelict who reeks of alcohol
An elderly man who’s clothing smells of old urine
A teenage boy wearing a baseball cap
A group of young men wearing black trench coats
A woman in her 40’s wearing a t-shirt and no bra
A young mother with a screaming baby
A teenager eating a hot dog and drinking a coke

Hmmm…did you get up and move from your pew, ignore them, or embrace them?

I would venture to say if we are totally honest with ourselves if we did embrace them, we did not embrace them with our heart but in gesture only.

My friend, we cannot continue to judge a book by its cover. We must open up the hard external cover of broken lives and begin to read the pages chalked full of experiences. We must begin to see the internal person; the one screaming to come out.

We are so bound by tradition and religion we lose track of who we are and our calling. We are called to love the “Unlovely” and the “Rule Breakers”.

“Church is not a household for saints. It is a hospital for sinners.” ~Robin Butler

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37

Don’t Judge the Book by Its Cover…

There Is A Winner Within!!!

Love Lee ♥

Trusting His Heart

Sep6

It has been a week…

We have been reminded life is fleeting and we are only promised the here and now. With Richard’s mother in ICU fighting for life, our grandson lost his half-brother in a car wreck today, and my loss of a beloved pet our hearts are hurting.

When life doesn’t make sense or seem fair and we feel all alone we have to learn to trust His heart…

This song is so incredibly perfect for where we are in our lives today…Listen closely to the words of this song. When everything in our world falls apart we have to…

Trust His Heart

Love Lee ♥

Tread Softly on My Dreams

Aug28

I remember in our early years of marriage Richard and I would sit for hours and dream of the future. Believe it or not…We still do!!! I love sitting out on the swing while having coffee and listening to him as shares his thoughts and dreams. Oh, and I so love the fact he is interested in mine!

When sharing my dreams with others, it is such a reality check to be reminded of my age… The buzz words are “at your age”…I am not quite ready to be an “old woman” and at times can be a sensitive subject for me; I sooo miss my youth!!!

I love this quote by James Dean:”Dream as if you’ll live forever… live as if you’ll die today.” I have always adopted this mindset. We only get one chance in life remembering… Dreams can often become challenging, but challenges are what we live for. ~ Travis White

Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born. ~ Dale E. Turner. So, as Justin Bieber would say…”If you don’t dream big, there’s no use of dreaming. If you don’t have faith, there’s nothing worth believing.”

Having a dream is all the more realistic when I dare to dream with the person I love the most in this world. It is even more special when we both have individual dreams but they are amplified because they complement each other and are intertwined. For me to have a dream and my husband’s dream is the act of creating what I dream for…That is God in His awesomeness further amplifying how we compliment or complete each other….A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality. ~John Lennon

Do you have a dream you are afraid to share with others? Don’t be!

Speak up…Share your dream and conclude with…

I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. ~W.B. Yeats

Love Lee ♥

Freedom in Passion

Jul23

More times than I can count I have been told I am passionate about different things…

To that I respond…YES, I AM!!!

I am of the belief we must be passionate about our beliefs, life, people and things we love. It is the passion we feel for all of these that give validity and importance!

In-fact…I have a passion meter; the higher the passion the greater the importance. While the term passion meter may not be used everyone has one. Other terms people may be more familiar with are

Soap Box
Button (as in when someone “pushes your button”)
Focus

To be passionate at any level ensures you are connected, engaged, care, or on board…In-fact the absence of passion leads to bondage; the bondage of apathy, listlessness, and disconnect.

Think about it…If God were not passionate about us He would have not given His Son as the ultimate sacrifice to give us freedom from our sin!!!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Allow His passion to free you from your past, your sin, your apathy…The more you become aware of His passion the more you will become passionate about Him, people, things and the life He has blessed you with!!!

Step into Freedom…Connect with your passions!!!

Love Lee ♥

Quit Clawing and Let God

Jul22

Thought for the Day shared on Facebook by a precious Sister this morning:

“We struggle, we climb, and we claw our way through the challenges that life throws at us. Sometimes we win; sometimes we lose. But the one constant that is always there is that God is always waiting to help. We don’t need to go it alone and with God anything is possible.” – Elmer Laydon

What are You Struggling With?

Quit Clawing and Let God!!!

Love Lee ♥

Just Keep Dancing

May11

David danced before the LORD with all his might; II Samuel 6:14

One of my favorite television shows to watch is “Dancing With the Stars”. I love seeing the contestants start of with minimal skill then as the weeks go by they transform into skilled dancers with precision, poise, gracefulness, and moves that I could not even dream of being able to perform…

This show reminds me much of life. We start out clumsy and easily frustrated but as we face greater challenges we begin to handle them with more poise and tolerance.

Does it happen over night? No!
Will we miss steps? Yes!
Will those we must dance with irritate us? Absolutely!

But…it is so important we remember…whether we are tired, sore, frustrated, challenged, or even tempted to quit we must …

JUST KEEP DANCING

Love Lee ♥

Rock Solid

Apr28

It is human nature to want to be loved. In-fact some will go to great lengths to be loved and accepted by others. Often they compromise who they are, what they believe, and what they stand for all for the sake of this acceptance. They will accept love in any form to fill this need.

On the other hand there are those who are firm in their convictions, know what they believe, know they are loved and will not compromise even to gain the acceptance of others. They will not be moved.

If I were to choose a theme song for my life this would be it…

ARE YOU ROCK SOLID

Love Lee ♥

Under the Influence

Apr27

The influence of negativity is very contagious…I pray daily God will protect my heart and mind and allow me to remain positive and not succumb to the negativity which I am often bombarded by. Do I always measure up…NO ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

However, because I am soooo incredibly opposed to negativity and the influence it has on others, I am in constant pursuit of knowledge related to dealing with negative people. The article below does an excellent job of providing strategies for dealing with negative people. I wish I had read it yesterday…

How To Deal With Negative People – 10 Strategies.

God says to Love one another but…He never says we have to lower our standards and participate in their negativity…

And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

Are You Under the Influence…

Love Lee ♥

“Wild Horses Couldn’t Drag Me Away”

Apr26

I am sure you have heard the saying “Wild Horses Couldn’t Drag Me Away” meaning…I ain’t moving!!! Paul is telling the church in Rome…

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nether angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39