Tag Archive | Jesus

Is the Grass Always Greener

How many times have you seen this while driving down the road? That poor cow always trying to get to the grass on the other side of the fence. Aren’t we much like that cow? How often is it we want what we can’t have and pursue it without thought of the consequences?

There is much to be said for finding contentment with what we have rather than always pursuing that which is just out of reach. Oh wait, before you go there…I am all about goals…defining goals, planning a path to reach the goal and celebrating the achievement of goals.

I am not referring to goals…I am referring to the constant state of discontent. Are you always looking for something or someone to make you happy; that perfect job, perfect mate, perfect party, or perfect friend?

…godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

We celebrate being a Christian and being born again…we try to live our lives as Christ would have us live by acting right, talking right, walking right or anything else right…BUT are we content?

Are we content in knowing Jesus is our Lord and Savior and He is in control; that all we have belongs to him and…. all we are is because of him??? Well…we should be…In finding contentment in Jesus all the other “stuff” does not matter!!!

My friend, I am here to tell you…The grass IS NOT always greener on the other side!!! Stop looking for that something or someone to make you happy…Start looking for GOD!

Love Lee ♥

But How Do You Know

Jan12

Recently I was reminded of how not all is as it seems. Just because the clouds are dark and heavy it does not mean the sun is not shining. In fact the sun is shining so bright it is a blinding light. This picture proves my point. At the edge of the clouds…The Sun Is Shining!!!

So things are tough, not enough money, the kids are fighting, no one understands you, jobs got you down, your spouse has left you and you are lonely…Things are gonna get better!!!

I can hear you asking…

But How Do You Know

Well, it is quite simple…God said,

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:3

When it gets too much to bear…

He will CARRY you
He will SUSTAIN you
He will RESCUE you

He’s got this covered…No matter where you are or what is going on! God is still there whether you can see Him or not just as the sun is there…He’s got this!!!

God said it, I believe it, and that settles it!!!

Love Lee ♥

What’s In A Name?

Jan6

I will never forget when Cheyenne (my granddaughter) was almost 3 years old and we had been working in the flower beds (oh how that child loved to dig) when she decided it was time for a “Popsicle Break”. So, of course I stopped what I was doing and the popsicle break became the priority. As we were sitting on the glider near the back door having our popsicle and chatting, a HUGE clap of thunder came from out of nowhere. Immediately I yelled “JESUS”, grabbed her up, and ran into the house. As you can imagine it took me several minutes to calm her down and get her to stop crying.

About three months had passed and Cheyenne and I were hanging out. She was playing on the back patio and I was making us a cup of coffee (we took many types of breaks…LOL) when I heard thunder in the distance. Almost immediately Cheyenne walked thru the back door and announced, “Meme, Jesus is back”. What a Doll that girl is!!!

Ya know, I have endured some thunder in my life; some distant rumblings, and other outrageously loud shaking me to my core. I have had heartbreaking events in my life when I thought I would never recover, times when my heart hurt so bad I didn’t know if I would be able to breathe again. But I can say through those times when my world was rocked or I hurt to the core I always called out one name…

JESUS

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

I call out His name frequently and I say it out loud. I say His name in times of happiness and in times of devastation, in times of loneliness, celebration, and loss.

The song by Martha Munizzi says it all…

Say The Name of Jesus

My Friend, Just Say His Name…

Love Lee ♥

There is a Plan

Jan1

2011 is Here and people everywhere are making New Year’s Resolutions while others have no clue or plan for their future. For those of you who have no goals or plans for your future there is great news you are not free-floating out there in oblivion… there is a plan for your life. And even if you don’t know what that plan is at the moment God does!

God’s plan may not be the same as your plan but as you assess various situations and set priority as to how you spend your time energy and money you definitely want to get in touch with what God wants for you.

It’s comforting to know that He is involved in your life and cares about what you do and how you spend your time. He isn’t trying to hide His plan from you, but you will need to a exert some effort to discover it. Spend some time with God asking for His direction and guidance in making goals for your future.

Having a Goal to work toward is very important. The purpose of having goals includes:

Providing a focus
Defining a beginning and end point
Providing a vision for things to come

When you have vision it affects your attitude. Your attitude is optimistic rather than pessimistic. Chuck Swindoll

During my research I found an article on eHow which does an excellent job of explaining the how to’s of setting life goals. “How to Set Life Goals”.

Everyone has a success mechanism and a failure mechanism. The failure mechanism goes off by itself. The success mechanism only goes off with a goal. Every time we write down and talk about a goal we push the button to start the success mechanism.
Charles ”Tremendous” Jones

Set your goals wisely and align them with God’s word. Then if the plan changes be flexible and know God is large and in charge!

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

There is a Plan…

Love Lee ♥

New Beginnings

Dec31

As we look to start a new year, many people build lofty resolutions only to fail. Remember that you can acheive anything you truly want but don’t wait until conditions are “perfect” as perfection rarely comes. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” ~Theodore Roosevelt~

Perfection

“Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.”~Robert Schuller~

Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable. However, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable. ~Lord Chesterfield~

We are often ineffective and immoblized due to fear and there are two fears which exist in the world.

Fear of Success: That which will happen if you succeed; the changes success will create; not only for you personally but for those you love and are close too. Will your success change your life style, draw attention to you, or create a change you are not able or willing to deal with.
Fear of Failure: That which will happen if you fail; the changes failure will cause such as embarrasement, depression, and possibly loss of self esteem or motivation.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ~Jesus~

Hmmm…puts a whole new spin on perfection doesn’t it

Do What You Can, With What You Have, Where You Are

What a profoud statment! I can not tell you how many times I’ve heard, “I don’t have —” or “My—is too small or not good enough. To that I say HOG WASH!!! God has placed you right where you are…given you what He has seen fit to give you…so get off your pitty pot and embrace what you have with a heart felt since of grattitude and appreciation. You will never have more until you learn to appreciate and care for what He has already given you.

So, while you sit and contemplate what your New Years Resolution will be this year perhaps you should resolve to be grateful for

Who you are in Christ
The talents He Has blessed you with
The possessions He has entrusted to you
Those whose lives He has surrounded you with

Resolve today to give Him the Glory and Honor He is due rather than complain about what should, could, or would have been…

With Jesus Every day is a NEW BEGINNING so resolve to begin anew and…

Choose to Live, Love, Laugh TODAY!!!

Love Lee ♥

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Dec25

Happy Birthday to you…♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥¸¸.•¨•♫♪ Happy Birthday to you♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥¸¸.•¨•♫♪ Happy Birthday Dear Jesus!!!…..♪♫•¨•.¸¸♥¸¸.•¨•♫♪ Happy Birthday to you!!! May Everything I Say And Everything I Do Bring Glory and Honor Only To You!!! I love you my Savior and Lord ♥

My Savior and Lord…What exactly does that mean?

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:22-26

It all began with His birth…“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

How cool is it that on Jesus’ Birthday we receive the gift… The Gift Of Eternal Life!!!

He never said it would be easy but he did say, “if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us” 2 Timothy 2:12

I claim to know Him, Love Him, and Serve Him…Have you opened your heart to receive the most important Gift EVER Given…JESUS?

He stands at your heart’s door and says…”Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. Revelation 3:21

He also says…That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Open your heart and invite Jesus in…Receive God’s Gift Today!

Merry Christmas!!!

Love Lee ♥

Silent Mornings

Dec24

Being a morning girl, I am up at the crack of dawn each day. With a fresh cup of steaming hot coffee, I sit in my favorite chair and listen to the soft music playing, my precious birds chirping, and the soft snore of Maggie Mae who is sleeping next to my chair.

This time of day has always been special to me as it carries the hope of new and exciting things to come…A fresh slate…A new beginning…An book waiting to be written.

But, first things first…I grab my laptop and go to Blue Letter Bible online for my morning Bible study. I love this application as it allows me to research, read, and navigate more easily. I love my time with the Lord in the morning! Reading His word keeps me in close relationship with Him!

But [it is] good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works. Psalms 73:28

It is when I draw near to Him, I am better able to recognize His sovereign hand on my life and trust He has everything under control. It is when I draw near to Him, I become keenly aware of His incredible love for me.

As I sit here this Christmas Eve morning surrounded by the comforts of home, I can’t help but reflect on

Those struggling emotionally with the holiday season
Those on foreign soil defending my right to be able to sit in the comfort of my home
Children missing their mommy or daddy because they are from broken homes
Moms or dads missing their children because of divorce
Those missing a family member who is no longer living
The homeless, cold, and hungry

Dear Daddy God,

I ask you in the precious name of Jesus to place your loving arms around each of these. Please meet them where they are; wrap your loving arms around them and hold their tender hearts in your hands. Keep them safe and warm. Shower them with your presence and make your presence known to them. Please give them comfort and a peace that passes understanding while making provisions for their needs. I thank you Father for the blessings you have poured out over my life. I love you and am so thankful you love me. THANK YOU FATHER!

Love Lee ❤

Christmas with Brandi, Robi, and Grandkids 2010

Dec23

Celebrating Christmas with our youngest daughter and her family is the highlight of the holiday season for us. This year due to congested schedules we decided to celebrate early. So, I had to kick into turbo…no waiting till the last-minute to wrap the gifts and prepare a meal.

The menu was easy to decide on because everyone loves Papa’s smoked ribs. Sides were a salad, baked potatoes and homemade hot and buttery beer bread. Ummm Ummm delicious! Dessert was Christmas candies, cookies, cupcakes and brownies.

Immediately following dinner Cheyenne, our granddaughter asked if she could help clear the table. I knew her goal was to get to those gifts tucked away under the tree. So, you can imagine her delight when I told her the dishes could wait.

We migrated to the living room where everyone was a buzz about the “Big Gift” in the corner. Because other gifts were associated with the “Big Gift” it had to be opened first…As you can imagine everyone was excited to hear that because they all had been trying to guess what it was for over a week…Needless to say it only took a few seconds to rip the wrapper off…They were elated but not to the degree of my delight!

I DID IT!!! For the first time ever I stumped Brandi…Every year right before she would open her “Big Gift” from me she would guess what it was but not this year!!! She had no clue and was sooo surprised!

Once the “Big Gift” was opened everyone migrated to “their spot”. All the gifts were handed out and in keeping with tradition the kids wanted to go one at a time opening their gifts so everyone could see what the other was getting. I love this as I remember growing up it was a free for all and Christmas gifts were unwrapped in 10 minutes or less…

Not with these kids… it took about an hour to open gifts making Christmas last a long time! The comments, laughter and hugs in between gifts was priceless!!!

The gifts I received were precious!!! The first I opened was a beautiful coffee mug from Cheyenne. The quote on the cup reads “Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come. Song of Songs 2:12a. Chey knows I love coffee and I love drinking it from special cups. I have a new “Special Cup” now! Next, a gift from Michael. It was a beautiful necklace. The front is the shape of a key hole and it is surrounded by bling. The back reads “Share the Love”. It is absolutely beautiful. Then I was handed an envelope which read “To Mom and Dad”….A gift card to Outback! Yeah!!! One of our most favorite places to eat!!! Next, foot care products with an inflatable foot bath…Love it!!! Then I was handed a large bag. In it was the purse I wanted. Brandi pulled it off she managed to buy the purse I wanted when shopping a couple of weeks ago. And she bought it while I was with her!!!

I loved the gifts and all the thought that went into finding the perfect one for me and speaking of perfect gifts, it was a little scroll of paper tied in a pretty ribbon and addressed to both Richard and me. When I unrolled it, it read “Merry Christmas! Mission Offering Donation made in the name of Richard and Lee Ann Smith” and the amount. Now this gift brought tears to my eyes. Anyone who knows me, knows sharing the love of Jesus is my passion and Missions is the most perfect venue to do just that.

I love every moment I get to spend with my kids and grandkids! I love their hugs, smiles, thoughts, and comments! I love watching them interact with each other as it is obvious they love each other very much! I love seeing the glow on my daughter’s face as she adores her husband and children! And I love seeing my son-in-law so happy!

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A Happy and Healthy Family Was My Most Favorite Gift!!!

Savor your moments with your family as they are your most treasured gift!!!

Love Lee ♥

Pregnant With Possibility

Dec20

There will be worries. There will be struggles. But tomorrow is filled with possibility. I am inching toward eternity, and this is a journey I want to savor, not suffer through.

When Mary received the news she was carrying the Christ Child, she embraced the present for the future. She embraced the glares, glances, whispers, and disapproving looks of society all because she was pregnant with our possibilities…

The possibilities we have in today and tomorrow is because Mary said “Be it unto me”.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Matthew 6:34

Because you have Jesus, you too are pregnant with possibility! Life is full of possibilities with Him. He is our hope, future, protector, healer, sustainer, strength, and joy. He wants us to live up to our full potential. To take life by the horns and enjoy the ride…

Have the courage to live fully today and await tomorrow with great hope; to be Pregnant with Possibility

Love Lee ♥

She Can Sing

Dec13

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:15-17

I was reminded on this scripture last night when I watched the Kids Rock Choir at First Baptist Church of Brazoria perform their annual Christmas program, “The Present is the Future”. They shared the true meaning of Christmas sharing the message without Jesus we have no future. Their enthusiasm was contagious, the music upbeat, and choreography flamboyant.

In addition to sharing Jesus the performance held additional sentiment for me. To have the honor of seeing both my daughter and granddaughter use their God-given talent to bring glory and honor to Jesus was the icing on the cake!

Brandi my daughter has such a passion for Jesus and for music. I am so proud of her for dedicating her life to Jesus and sharing her passion for music with the next generation. The children just love her and it is obvious she loves them too.

Seeing Cheyenne, my granddaughter celebrating Jesus through drama and music, made me so excited. Cheyenne and I have sang songs to the radio or CDs in the car but I have never heard her sing a solo. She grabbed the microphone and sang like a pro! The first thing that went through my mind was…