No Matter How Long the Winter, Spring is Sure to Follow

fairy house------- Fairy garden in my yard------Tink's corner----- Tink's house (handmade)

I'm so glad Spring has finally arrived. It has been a very long and cold winter. But with the warmer temperatures, has come a new phase in my walk with God. We've been working on some pretty heavy topics like fears, insecurities, and dignity. I'm so excited to take off the heavy cloak of insecurity and step out into the what the Son has waiting for me...bring on the rebirth of Spring.

" I would love Spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would greet it in a garden." -Ruth Stout

I recently went to Walt Disney World (one of my favorite places to visit) and it was the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. They had a Fairy Garden there that was beautiful. The picture taken of me is in the garden with a topiary fairy behind me. I decided to re-create a fairy garden in my own back yard. Why? Because it makes me happy. Reason enough. Here is our version that was completed this weekend. We have flowers including lavender, posies, and begonias. We have herbs including rosemary, sage, and mint. There is a Tinkerbell bird bath, gazing ball and hummingbird feeder. We made two fairy houses for our garden; the teapot is a replica of her house we saw at Disney...pretty darn cute if I do say so myself!
It was fun to welcome Spring with my new garden. Besides, one can never have too much faith, trust, and....well you know the rest.

The Princess Marathon...a metaphor for life

As many of my friends know I recently ran the Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World again. By far it is my favorite race to run! This year over 13,000 would-be princesses ran their way through the 'Most Magical Place on Earth' to claim their prize after completing a 13.1 mile trek. Why do I love this race so much? Well obviously I am a runner...you'd have to be to commit to the time and training it takes to complete such an endeavour; my husband says that's why God invented cars, so we don't have to run such distances. I love this race because to me it is the perfect metaphor for life and my life in particular. The apostle Paul compared life on Earth to a foot race time and time again; it was an analogy his peers could understand living in Greco-Roman culture. Every major city in his time held Olympic style races where athletes competed for prizes. The biblical word for race can be translated struggle or conflict; life in Christ has so many features of a race and Paul wanted us to know that at the end of our lives is our prize, who is Christ, should we choose to participate.
This race at WDW is unique because it encourages its participants not to concern themselves with finishing first, but to enjoy the journey along the way. There are characters placed at strategic points, presenting opportunities to engage them along the way. The participants all dress like royalty with their shiny tiaras and running skirts and make their way along the main street straight to the castle. Is this beginning to sound anything like a journey for the daughter of the Most High God? You bet it is. I KNOW that I am a Princess, because my Father is the KING of Kings. (Revelation 19:16)
This race held particular significance for me this year, especially in light of one of my life verses Acts 20:24..."However I consider my life worth nothing, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me...the task of testifying to the Gospel of God's grace." I remembered when I ran my first marathon in 2000. My father and brother were supposed to be waiting for me at the finish line. However they placed themselves at mile 25 so they could run the last mile with me; it really helped me a lot since I was really tired and hurting. They helped me complete the task and finish the race. Now I want to do the same for him. This year my brother was diagnosed with Chondrosarcoma in his left shoulder. He is only 36 years old and has a 5 year old and a newborn son. I need to know that he is going to meet me at my finish line of the race I call my life. I can't run his race for him; but I can do everything in my power to testify to him the grace God has shown me in mine. I know what my life would have been like had I not met Christ and I cling to the hope he gives me now. I know that Christ has a purpose filled course mapped out for my life. He has and will place people strategically along the way; its how God works...through people. He will give me strength when I am weak (Phillipians 4:13- I will do all things through Christ who strengthens me.) and the ability to do things that in my own power that I would be unable to do (2nd Corith 9:8- God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in ALL things and at ALL times,having ALL THAT YOU NEED, you will abound in every good work.) We don't know the future regarding his cancer; the surgery he had in March has the potential to be curative. But I do know that God is using this circumstance to draw Garrick toward himself and I pray that I can help him to run the good race, fight the good fight, and finish his race by accepting Jesus into his heart as his personal Savior and keeping faith in God that he works in all circumstances for the good of those who love him. (Rom 8:28)

When Head Knowledge Becomes Heart Knowledge

"If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you."John 8:32

One of the things I have always loved about God is exactly how tender he is in revealing truth. He knows when and where our hearts are ready to hear it. The Lord who invented time itself, and therefore can manipulate it at his will, so carefully and intimately knows just the right moments to speak into our hearts. It's not about when he is willing to handle the matter, but rather when he knows that we can. I am so captivated by the only one who's love sets you free.
This season of my life God is working on my fears and insecurities. Talk about timing! I think we would all like to know that attacking your fears will be handled with some delicacy . You see my fears all stem back to a moment in time in my childhood and hinge on the notion of making me feel rejected. Not just rejected...insignificant. Like I didn't matter at all. I think most people would agree, there is nothing worse than apathy. From that moment on, my enemy worked hard to keep me in stuck in "orphan thinking." He did not want me to know my significance nor the magnitude of God's love for me. Stuck in my rejection mindset I would never be able to achieve all that God had planned over my life (No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived was God has prepared for those who love him.1st Corin 2:9) Your enemy knows your potential in Christ...he will do anything he can to keep your head knowledge about God from becoming heart knowledge.
Faith is belief put into action. Knowledge is understanding through experience. The only way to know God is to experience him. How? It's easy. Seek him. God says, come close to me and I will come close to you. Then you and I, "together with all the saints, (will be able) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" -Eph 3:18
How did my God show me his love for me this week? First he prepared me by teaching me about dignity. Insecurity (fear of _____) is about losing our God-given dignity. Our enemy loves that; when placed in situations where we are devalued, our enemy hopes we will react to a sudden rush of insecurity by acting foolish which will ultimately make us feel more insecure. God told me I can start breaking this cycle by not losing my dignity; I may still feel insecure, but I can make a very deliberate choice not to act on that feeling. And that is just what I did. Placed in a situation all too familiar to the one that began the whole cycle, I put on a cloak of dignity. "She is clothed with dignity and strength." Proverbs 31 It was at that moment I realized what I could be capable of if I really grasped God's love for me. (That would be HEART knowledge, girlfriend!!)
Next God has told me over and over this week through his word that he loves me. But more than that he stressed one verse in particular that I've heard several times...on the radio, in my bible study, and again this morning in church. "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." This is something I always knew the scripture said; I know God tells us he won't leave us and that is always there when we call upon him. But this week the word that stood out was "forsake". I looked it up; it means "to leave". But it means so much more than that; it means to reject or defect from because of inferiority (just couldn't measure up) and leave alone. It's volitional; forsake means "I chose to leave you." How sweet my God is that this week of all he wanted me to know He will NEVER forsake me. Better yet, He chose me first. "We love because he first loved us." 1John4:19 When you fear rejection, God wants you to KNOW he chose you and better yet he will never leave you because 'you don't measure up'. The only standard God uses is Jesus...and well, that means we all don't measure up. And yet he was willing to send his Son to die for you. The only time God forsake anyone was for our sakes. (Matt 27:46) That's the kind of love I don't mind looking foolish for.