I like the buiful day.

Lily is such a funny little kid, like, really really funny. She has this knack for re-enacting stuff she says and does. If she had a moment of crying, she will later tell me all about how she cried and proceed to fake cry, for dramatic effect of course! She is just hilarious!

Tonight, we were leaving church in the dark, and come to find out, she is not a fan of the dark. We are not out much at dark so I guess that's probably why, but nonetheless, not a fan. She said, in the most whiny voice she could muster, "I not like the dok, I like the buiful day."

Most of us would agree with ya Lil! We like the beautiful day too! Although, I actually quite enjoy driving at night for some reason, I must have the eyesight of a gazelle. Or a wolf. Or, whatever the heck animal is known for keen eyesight. Ah but I digress.

We really don't like the dark, and yet, so often, that's exactly where we find ourselves. The dark. Life takes us through different phases and stages, some dark, some light, some gray, and some, well, some are just beautiful! Oh how we long for the beautiful days. When your bills are paid. When everybody is healthy. When you feel you have a purpose in this life. That is beautiful.

But what about the dark days. When you can't pay your bills, let alone buy something you just plain want. Or when you are sick in your body, or a loved one is battling an illness. When you feel like you have no purpose in this life. What then?

Lamentations 3:22-24 says:

22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“ Therefore I hope in Him!”

Oh I love that. I LOVE that. I have hope. I have a hope that God will provide my every need. I have a hope that God has the power to touch a weary body. I have a hope that God can bring a peace that passes all understanding to every situation! I have a hope that God has a plan and a purpose for my life, plans of good and not of evil, plans to prosper me and give me a hope and a bright future!

God is our portion. Period. He is all we need. He KNOWS all we need. That's how you make the dark days beautiful. There is beauty when you cry out to a beautiful God...in the dark. Just because it's dark does not mean God is absent. I'm going to venture to say He is all the more near to you in that dark time. Why? Because you are drawing nearer to Him. And the Bible says that if we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. That my friends, is beauty at it's fullest. The creator of Heaven and Earth, the amazing, amazing redeemer, gets down in the midst of our darkness and begins to shed His glorious light. It may be slow. It may take a real long time, but if we stay near to Him, the light will eventually begin to shine. You may notice a tiny little sliver of victory...that's the light. It's comin. It's comin. It's comin!!! And when it does, it's nothing short of beautiful.

Yes, we like it too Lily. We like it too.

Sweet Conversion

Do you remember where you were when you accepted Jesus into your heart? Maybe you have yet to pray that prayer, the prayer that allows Jesus to be Lord of your life. Perhaps you have never been given that opportunity. It's so simple to do, so simple that my little Joei Kate has Jesus in her heart. I love that! I love how simple it really is. Unfortunately, Religion has complicated salvation. Religion makes us believe that we have to do x,y,z before Jesus will accept us. Thank you Lord, that is not the case. We simply just ask. Just ask.

I remember where I was. I was 14 years old, it was the summer before I entered high school. I was a mess of a teenager, let me tell ya. I carried so much hurt, bitterness and insecurity, that I could hardly even function right. Sure, I got by. But I was so riddled with insecurity and pain, masking it all the way.

I was invited to go on a church trip to Mexico. I thought it sounded like fun, get away from everyone, sign me up! I didn't know there was going to be preaching at night, and quite honestly, I don't remember any other service during that trip, except for the first night. That night, Coco Perez was preaching. He was using the text from the book of Joel, I will never forget it. He put out the call, that sweet simple call that has long been too complicated for people, the call to receive Jesus. And I did just that. I knew I needed something. I knew I needed something.

My life changed in an instant that night. I really mean that. The peace of God came over me, and I was changed. The pain began to release...Sure, I struggled with stuff, and of course had to face tons of obstacles, and still do, but I have tried my hardest to never quit running the race. All because of the simplicity of the gospel. It's so simple. And yet, I gained so much by accepting that simplicity. Thank you Jesus.

This Sunday mornings message has me thinking about this, Joey is preaching about his thankfulness for the Cross. I'm so thankful too.

That, and this morning I was reading about Saul's Conversion in the book of Acts. That is SO fascinating to me. He was a man that absolutely hated anything to do with Jesus. A persecutor of Christians. Just an all around bad egg. But that all changed when he had an experience with that sweet simplicity. Ahhhh Jesus.

I love Acts 9:15 because here the Lord tells Ananias that "This man (Saul) is my chosen instrument..."

Wow. An outwardly evil man. A man nobody would except that the Lord would use in such a dramatic way. But Saul, also called Paul, indeed was used.

I also love the verse in Corinthians (1:27) that says "God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise."

It still amazes me that the Lord would take a messed up, broken little girl like myself, and use me to do anything at all. I'm so thankful, this November, for the cross. I may not have confounded anyone just yet, but don't count me out! It aint over...

I'm so thankful for that sweet simplicity. Thank you Jesus.

Do you remember?