I’m so excited!  The Holy Spirit spoke to me!  You’re probably thinking, “Yeah…sure, Debi.”  But He truly did! Not in a booming voice that rattles windows or parts the earth, nor in the form of a breeze blowing gently across my face.  It wasn’t even while I quietly knelt in earnest prayer.  The sound of His soothing voice got my attention, without even using my middle name, like my mom had to on occasion. Our Father spoke through the eyes of malnourished Little Joe, a nine-year-old boy from Rwanda.

With the support of Africa New Life  and a loving Texas family, Little Joe traveled to Austin to receive the medical attention to enable him to walk. Gradually Little Joe’s malnourished body began to heal and it was time for that joyous spirit within to feel the love of his adopted State. I heard through the grape vine, or was it the Holy Vine,  Little Joe was coming to Dallas for the weekend to attend a Texas Ranger’s baseball game. Our God works in the realm of amazing. When the Holy Spirit actually calls your name with an assignment, you better snap to and follow His lead! The night the Delighter of our soul had planned for Little Joe was so much more than was ever imagined.

Through His love and grace, God opened doors and gave Little Joe a glorious night to remember.  He was welcomed onto the field for batting practice, had a pre-game visit with the Texas Rangers, and to top off the evening a fly ball miraculously winged its way into a very excited boy’s lap. There were many angels at the game that night, showing a small boy from a foreign land God’s grace and joy.  All things are possible because our Lord loves us.  The Holy Spirit can take over your thoughts and energy if you just let Him.  Being in tune with my Savior that day allowed me to hear His voice and be blessed by seeing how His irreplaceable presence in my life changed another’s.

God’s kingdom can be served right in our own town, on our own street, and even in our own home.  It could be providing food for a hungry family, giving an understanding hug to a heartbroken friend, or opening doors for a memorable evening for a child you’ll never meet.  It’s all up to our Father.  He’s the one who will guide us.  He’s the one who touches our hearts and whispers in our ears, “All things are possible, just follow Me.”

Points to Ponder:

1. Does the Holy Spirit speak to you? How?

2. Do you respond to His heeding?

3. Where do you see God’s kingdom in your life? Can you serve Him there?

Pray with me:

Your love and grace is before me as I walk your earth.  Unveil my eyes so I can see, hear, and feel Your presence every breath that I take.

Looking around for You

*The children in the picture are Little Joe’s Texas brother and sisters and Texas  Ranger, Mike Napoli. Their mother nurtured Little Joe and has been God’s hands and feet on earth for him. She is an  amazing woman, just like their KK.

The bargain of the week is supposedly a large iced tea at McDonalds for $1.08.  Being a “penny-wise” person, and in a rush on my way to church, I hurried to take advantage of saving a few pennies, anticipating a great reward when I took my first sip. Upon arrival at the Golden Arches, the drive-through line was so long I decided it would be faster to park and go inside.  When the busy cashier mistakenly handed me a large coffee instead of the unsweetened iced tea that I ordered, frustration and irritation rose up inside me.  Keeping my composure, I politely reminded her that I wanted an unsweetened iced tea.  After she made the exchange, I hustled out the door, muttering under my breath about how their inefficiency had wasted my valuable time, and I piously charged off to church.

It wasn’t until half-way through my Life Group that I even had a chance to drink the long-anticipated, delectable, unsweetened iced tea that I practically “stole” for $1.08!  I picked up the mostly melted, dripping cup and placed my straw through the lid.  I ravenously took a big slurp, and YUK — it was SWEET tea!  Words from an old TV commercial flashed through my mind, “I should’ve had a V-8!” As I was leaving church with a list of errands a mile long, I pondered whether it was really worth a trip back to McDonalds to either exchange the tea or demand a refund of my $1.08.  I decided, “It’s just not worth the effort.”  So with disgust and aggravation I tossed the vile brew and $1.08 into an overflowing trashcan.

While walking to my car I began one of my chats with God with this question: “At what point in my life did $1.08 become not worth the effort?”  I reflected upon those newlywed days when $1.08 would have fed us our favorite dinner of hot dogs and macaroni and cheese.  Now $1.08 won’t even buy my weekly skinny latte. That’s when God stepped in and opened my eyes.  I remembered the look of confusion and exhaustion on the face of the woman who had helped me that morning.  The image of defeat that might appear on her face as she saw me standing at the counter, holding a cup with a condemning look on my face, made me shudder in remorse.  Then there was the chance that her employer might overhear our conversation.  A $1.08 glass of tea wasn’t worth her humiliation or the loss of her job. Thankfully, God’s mystery of grace has become more a part of me than I consciously realize.  It’s the mystery that calls me to have a visit with Him instead of my friends when I am confused.  It’s the mystery that enables me to value everyone’s purpose in life and the needs of the world around me.

It’s the mystery that has led me on a quest to see what can be bought for $1.08. I discovered many ways to obtain valuable treasure for $1.08.  Here is a partial list:  Through “Feeding America“ you can feed 8 kids for $1.00 a day.  Through “World Vision” you can feed and care for a child for $1.00 a day.   At “Kid’s Meals Houston” they can feed a child for less than $1.75 per day. So here we are.  $1.08 is definitely worth the effort.  It’s worth the effort to use it to feed a child, and $1.08 is treasure beyond measure if it helps us to humble ourselves before Him and remember that everyone is worthy. God’s mystery of grace is shown to us each day as we watch and wait for Him to reveal His plan for us and impart His grace into our inner self.  God’s grace is a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth and has unfading beauty.  I can wait – after all He has waited on me for 60 years to learn the value of $1.08.  How long has He waited on you?  While we are waiting, let’s sit down together for a glass of sweet tea and find a child who needs our help.  Who knows, in the meantime I may start to like sweet tea!

Points to Ponder: 1. What do you consider a bargain?

2. When was the last time you saw  God’s mystery and grace? Did you recognize it immediately?

3. How often do you chat with God? Is He your friend?

Pray with me: Dear Father of Grace, Thank you for opening my eyes to so many needs around me. Guide me as I reach out to those  whose lives can be changed with  $1.08.

A blessed servant

God's Gift

God.” Romans 5:1-2

Gifts come to us in different sizes and shapes. When one comes my way I hold the mysterious box up to my ear and shake it in hopes that a super clue might be revealed. To verify my suspicion I tear into the box ripping the paper to shreds in excitement to find my surprise.  On rare occasions I remove the paper carefully to conserve a particularly lovely piece of wrapping paper.

The people of Jerusalem were given the best gift of all, as Jesus rode into their village on a donkey. Surrounding Him was a throng of people waving palm branches and shouting, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” The villagers’ special gift, the Son of God, had ridden into their lives. Before these unsuspecting people was an unopened present containing the amazing gifts of God’s grace embodied in Christ our Savior. They couldn’t shake their gift as I do in hopes of guessing its contents. These men and women during this Holy of all Holy weeks had to wait until their hearts were awakened to our Savior’s love.

Upon rising everyday we can precariously open God’s precious gift of His Son and make a mess, or we can open it with loving care and save the cherished remnants of the gift-wrap to share with others. It was God’s grace that guided Jesus His last week on earth, and it is what guides us each day. As you gaze at His torn body on the cross this Holy weekend, remember these gifts of grace, and when you awake on Easter morn gingerly unwrap your box and shout aloud for all to hear, “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ has risen indeed”. Quit shaking those boxes, walk into Jesus’ risen world and unwrap His gift.

Points to Ponder:

1. What is your favorite gift? Where did you get it?

2. What guides you as you walk throughout your days?

3. How would you greet Jesus if He rode into your town?

Pray with Me:

Dear Giver of Grace,

As I rise this Easter morning, help me to open Your gift of grace and shout to all that You have risen, risen indeed!

Shouting from the rooftops

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.“  Ephesians 2:8

Through His grace God captures and claims us as His own just like kids do with lightening bugs, butterflies, or even grass snakes.  I have vivid memories of the boys in our backyard during the summer as they captured lightening bugs in a mason jar and claimed them as their very own.  They asked the daunting question, “How does this bug have a light on its tail?”  We quickly discovered that if you catch enough of the awe- inspiring insects and put them in a jar, the boys had their own personal flashlight as they ran around the yard on those summer nights.  Yet we were dismayed to learn that the longer they were in the jar, their magic began to fade as the lack of oxygen affected their sparkle.  Those wonderful little mysteries of life would gradually sink to the bottom of the jar, and the once joyful flashlight became a tomb for the unsuspecting little lightening bugs.  Then one night the “old wise one” whom we called “Dad” came along and showed us how to poke holes in the jar lid, which allowed the lightening bugs to breathe once again.  They no longer beat themselves against the sides trying to escape but paused, taking in the merciful air that sustained them, kept them alive and rejuvenated the flashlight.  After all the excitement was over, the boys moved on to the next source of mayhem, like a water balloon fight.  That is when Grace, in the form of a mom, quietly stepped in to take the lid off the jar, and the innocent bugs flew away into the peaceful summer night.

Unlike the lightening bugs that must fly around and light up the summer night sky to catch our eye, we don’t need to perform marvelous wonders in order to receive God’s love or attention. Grace is unsought, undeserved, and unconditional love from God.  Our precious Father pursues us like we do the lightening bugs, always providing us with the much-needed oxygen.  However, rather than capturing us in a jar, he awaits our surrender and then gives us abundant blessings.  As we live in God’s merciful grace, He forgives us our sins and accepts us. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8 to accept the gift and share it with others.  Show them mercy and let them see God’s grace.  Yet, sometimes the jar of life steals my sparkle, and I begin to act like the lightening bugs and beat my wings against the jar, as I try to force my way out and earn my freedom into the fresh air. My fervent prayer is that whenever I see and feel God’s grace around me, that I remember Paul’s teachings and the parable of the lightening bugs. The light they share with us coming from their unexplainable tails is like a warm glow, shining in a room where everyone forgot it was dark.  That is the grace of God and I want to share it with others.
It’s not lightening bug season yet, but the memory of those summer nights is always with me.  Along with it comes tremendous joy reminding me of God gives freely His unquenchable love and the gift of His grace. I feel like swishing my tail and shining my precious One’s light for all to see! Want to join me?

Points to Ponder:

1. Do you feel God’s grace? When?
2. Do you see God’s grace? Where?
3. Are you the source of God’s grace to others? Why or why not?

Pray with me:

Dear Holy Light,

You share with me Your grace throughout my day in so many ways. Help me to see Your beacon of light and share it with all I meet.

Swishing my tail for You

Holy Ground

“Take your sandals off your feet, for the place you stand is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5

I love to go barefoot. Shoes and I just do not get along and we are not the best of friends. Even though I have a fond affection for stylish shoes, once I walk through the door of home sweet home, with a deep sigh of relief those jewels come off. Each day while making my barefoot trek to the mailbox, anxious to see what surprises await in the treasure chest at the end of my driveway, and enevitably I  step on a rock, a branch, an acorn or some mystery object that solicits a little “ouch”  from me. Through the aggravating pain, I just shake my head in disbelief and wonder, “When will I ever learn?”

God instructed Moses to take off his sandals, because the ground he was standing on, unlike my driveway, was “holy”, a special place, a Godly place. God was preparing Moses to lead His people through the most unimaginable places and conditions by letting Moses feel every rock and grain of sand between his toes before asking these unassuming people to follow him. It makes me wonder if along the way Moses didn’t ask the question I ask, “When will I ever learn?” to trust, to listen, and follow without questioning.

I never know where God is sending me or what His magnificent  plans for me might be. It is usually a spiritual surprise, but as I listen to my Father’s calling I tend to discover the most unusual locations that end up being “holy ground”. A pasture on my grandparent’s farm, Travis Park Methodist in San Antonio, Texas,  The Old Mission Santa Barbara, or the Bridge Homeless Shelter in Dallas are all holy ground for me. These are places where I can see the face of God and feel His loving presence. God is always at work in His Kingdom, allowing people like you and me to take our shoes off and walk on His holy ground. Our precious Father is constantly preparing us to do His work on this earth, wherever He might lead us.

I have many special places in my life that bring back great memories of laughter and fun with family and friends. However, the holy places, the ones that bring tears to my eyes, are not as numerous. I am glad and deeply humbled each time God leads me to His holy ground. I know that He has chosen my path and prepared my bare feet for any rocks on which I might step.

It’s springtime, friends! Time to walk in the sun, go barefoot and pray we’ll step on a pebble. Perhaps the pain we feel will lead us to alleviate the pain in another’s life. Who knows? We may be standing on holy ground right now!

Points to Ponder:

1. Have you stepped on any pebbles lately? Did they open your heart?

2. Can you separate special places in your life from holy ones? What helps you discern the difference?

3. Are you ready to go on a springtime walk?

Pray with me:

O Holy One, giver of the spring, winter and fall,

Help me to listen to You as Moses did, and remove my sandals and feel your earth between my toes so I may recognize the hurting in my world and reach out to serve You.

Your barefoot girl

It started with a drip, an annoying drip, drip, drip that awaken us from a restful sleep in the early morning hours. My husband’s minor knee surgery on the previous day began an eight-week period of surprises. A broken hot water heater that flooded our house, the death of my special 99-year-old great aunt, and my husband’s ruptured appendix were part of the dripping sounds that filled my weary body and soul as I walked these days.  Each time I heard the drip of a new “surprise” I felt the tug on my heart of my Father’s presence and  His arms of love wrapped around me. Even perched on a beam in the attic at 2:30 AM, searching for the shut off valve of the hot water heater, sitting alone at midnight while my husband’s supposedly one hour appendectomy stretched into two, eating turkey and dressing from the hospital cafeteria on Christmas day, or as I sat beside the lifeless body of my great aunt, as she was celebrated in Heaven, He was there.  I didn’t beg Him to intervene, didn’t ask why this was happening; I just knew my Lord was there. Why is it that sometimes it takes a drip  to awaken our spirits and feel His presence? These little surprises in my life are trivial in comparison to the looming adventures that I’m sure will arrive someday. There are those of you who would trade my woes in a minute for the life of your child, a place call home or a job. This I know, but I also know that God is in the midst of all things. He waits for me to open my heart and feel His presence. His very being will fill me with joy no matter the circumstances. He has made known to me the paths I should walk. It is up to me. I pray I won’t wander too far off the path this year. I need to always keep Him in sight.

Points to Ponder

1. Is anything dripping in your life?
2. Do you feel God’s presence? Why or why not?
3. Who do you rely on to get you through the rising waters?

Pray with Me

Dear Plugger of all drips,

Joys and surprises greet me each day and Holy One. You are there to fill my heart with your love and peace. Guide me to be open to You each day so when the floods arrive I don’t have to ask for Your presence, I just feel it enter and surround me with joy.

Afloat for now!

Did I miss Thanksgiving?  As I drive through town, watch television, or go to a store all I see are Christmas decorations and hear Christmas music.  I’m almost embarrassed to still have pumpkins on my front porch!  I haven’t even cooked a pecan pie or turkey yet.  It seems that in our rush to celebrate Christmas, we have forgotten to be thankful.  How can this be?  But here I am whining that the world has fast-forwarded past Thanksgiving, instead of being thankful for today.

Being thankful in all circumstances should be a way of life, which causes us to pray without ceasing.  What if I really did have a problem?  I don’t know about you, but being thankful while in the midst of life’s challenges is a lot to ask.

A simplistic, yet dramatic allegory that all of us ladies can relate to would be going on a trip and only packing your red shoes, but the only outfit they match is the one you wore on the plane.  How can you be thankful about wearing those same shoes everyday for a week when they don’t coordinate with anything in your 40-pound suitcase?  Not easy, unless you delve a little deeper instead of whining to God about this major fashion faux pas.  If we are supposed to pray without ceasing and be thankful in all things, it becomes pretty embarrassing to even mention your red shoe dilemma to Him when you sit at His feet.  Considering the wisdom of King Solomon, your red shoe issue becomes “vanity and vexation”, and you can be thankful that you have shoes, be thankful that your shoes don’t have a hole in the sole, and also be thankful you have feet to put in those red shoes.  After a quiet reality-check with God, having only one pair of shoes to wear becomes something that is easy to be thankful for. It takes that time of being with Him, an experience that is indescribable and irreplaceable, to get you to the point of rejoicing always.

But do you want to know something else?  There are times in our lives when we become so burdened that we can’t truly be thankful, because that mountain just seems too high to climb — times where the only thing we can say is, “I’m tired and I don’t know what to pray.“  That’s when God sends friends to your rescue, and His Holy Spirit leads us and guides us as we pray for each other.  I am truly thankful and feel blessed for each and every one of the friends in my life.

Being thankful in all circumstances only comes when we remember that our Heavenly Father is watching over us every second of every day, and He promised He would never leave us or forsake us.  With that knowledge we can be thankful that we have Him to lean on.

I guess it’s time to confess.  Our Christmas lights are already up.  The Christmas Light Company gave me a 20% discount to install them last week but I’m not turning them on until after Thanksgiving.  Oh well, what’s a girl to do?  I’m thankful for the discount, and even more thankful for the beautiful lights that remind me of the birth of our precious Lord and Savior.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

debi

Holy Spirit

Every Time I Feel the Spirit, an African American gospel song, is my new favorite tune. The words to its joyous chorus are “Every time I feel the spirit movin’ in my heart I will pray, every time I feel the spirit movin’ in my heart I will pray”. As we sang this foot stompin’, hand clappin’ song in church Sunday I felt the spirit movin’! It’s one of those songs that linger in your mind as you go about your day at work, doing piles of laundry, or even as you endure the opening of football season in the “Man Cave”. On that particular Lord’s Day, I was truly more aware of the Spirit and every opportunity presented to me to chat with my Father.  It was as if the Spirit was really movin’ in my heart. When my computer chose the most inopportune time to crash with my notes for my Sunday school lesson disappearing into cyber space, there was the spirit movin’ in my heart giving me a chance to pray (and boy did I). As I watched the news that evening and saw the horrific atrocities in Lybia, the spirit was movin’ and I was praying. God in His omnipotent glory continually graced me with opportunities to reach out and feel His love through my prayers. The Spirit wasn’t with me just during church as I knelt on the beautifully needlepoint cushions at the altar or in the evening as I curled up in my chair surround by my precious puppies Charlie and Lucy saying my night prayers. The Holy Spirit was there throughout the sweltering hot summer day and in the cool of the night! And “Surprise, surprise, surprise,” as Gomer Pyle often exclaimed in the Andy Griffith Show, my Father still offers me a glory filled chance each and every day to feel His spirit and share my heart. It shouldn’t take a song to reawaken the joy I experience while celebrating His grace, but if it must, what a wonderful way to set off the blessed workings of Christ in me. Click on this link and sing along with me and maybe you’ll feel the Spirit movin’ in your heart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQp12vFw3NA&feature=related
Points to ponder:

1. What makes your spirit move? Have you felt it tingle lately?

2. What is your favorite hymn? What images come to mind when you hear its sweet sound?

3. How do you share Gods grace?

Pray with me,

Dear God of Surprises,

I love you more and more each day as you surprise me with glimpses of you as I sing a song or just
breathe in Your love. Thank you for blessing me through the simple things in life.

Humming a tune for you!

Parched

“Let  my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.” Deuteronomy 32:2

NEWSFLASH to those of you who have been living under a rock (where it definitely has to be cooler), “It’s HOT here in Texas.”It has become a proven fact that in the summer, when the days are long and lazy, I seem to forget to read the word of my Lord.  It actually rained on Saturday. Even before the drops hit the ground the glorious fragrance of the coming rainfall surrounded me. It was as if I could actually see the parched cracked earth smiling as God kissed the ground with His gentle shower. The words written in God’s Holy Book can be as refreshing as a new rain to a parched heart that has been living apart from Him. It’s no wonder that His fragrant touch brought me back to the enlivened feeling of Him in my soul.  When my heart is all dried out from an extended vacation from His word, it’s a blessing to remember He has not taken a retreat from loving me. It’s time for my own private Bible school to launch as I begin again to read the inspired word of my Father. I am blessed as His teachings descend upon me and allow me to feel His kiss quench my parched soul. I will pray and let His spirit guide me as I choose one of His sixty-six books, read it through, dissect it bit by bit and use it to replant the garden of my soul. Thankfully He showers me with His love every day of my life, whether I ask for it or not. Next time it rains I am not going to use my umbrella. I want to feel the Holy One’s sweet kisses.

Points to Ponder:

1. Have you felt much rain this summer on your heart?

2.Do you take a vacation from the Lord? Why? Why not?

3. Is your heart parched for another reason?

Pray with me:

Dear Refresher of our soul,

Guide us as we study Your word to smell the fragrance of Your love as it enters our being. As we will sit with You, Holy One, allow our hearts to be rekindled with Your teachings so we will grow into mature plants walking to serve others in Your name.

Back to school for You

dede & Miles

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Mark 1:16-18

I just gained membership into the best club in the world, “Grandmother hood.” I didn’t have to pay a membership fee, be screened to see if I was worthy, or even pay monthly dues. (Well I am required to bring diapers when I visit.) I belong to several clubs. Some in which I sought membership and others that sought after me. I eagerly joined my book club, UMW circle, and PTA, but when it came time to join the “motherless” club after my mom passed away I drug my feet. I never wanted to carry that membership card in my wallet. When our son called and told us our grandson was going to be born the next morning, I was like Simon and Andrew when Jesus called them to join His club of disciples. I couldn’t drop my “net” quick enough.

I was on my way from Dallas, where I live to Houston to attend a meeting when our son Mason called me with the S.O.S. I was captive in the backseat traveling with friends and not driving so I couldn’t kick my fellow passengers out of the car. I had to go on to Houston. The thought did cross my mind to jump out at the nearest truck stop and hitch a ride back to Dallas, but sanity took over just in time. I continued to Houston and went to the airport, caught a plane to Dallas, got my car and drove to Austin and within nine hours was sitting with the soon to be mom and dad awaiting the birth of Miles Austin Moses.

When I received my invitation to join the club where the membership requirement was the death of my mom, I didn’t race to collect my membership card like I did my Grandma card. Whether membership is at our request or life events that come our way, they all present opportunities to become closer to our Father. Simon and Andrew left everything and followed Him. I pray I will be as willing to join Jesus’ club when He calls my name.

Points to Ponder:

1. To what clubs do you belong? How did you gain membership?

2. Are you willing to join Jesus when He calls you?

3. Do you have to know the requirements of the Jesus’ club before accept the membership card?

Pray with me:

Dear Membership King on High,

I praise You for considering me worthy enough to be part of Your organization.  You bless me with Your love and support in the exciting times as well as the challenging. Keep me on Your list Holy One and forever in Your club.

Collecting membership cards for You.