Persevering With Patience

I just took Daniel to the airport AGAIN after yesterday's mishap of misunderstood texts from the airlines...it was great to have him home.  He has a personality that is closest of that to Simon...changing the cat's name while he was here, not paying attention to whether or not there was already a salsa open in the refrigerator before opening another...and another. He was in my bed nightly for ticklies and infiltrating Simon's space whenever possible, being a complete irritant of Izik AND Simon but NOT OLIVIA (unbelievably :).  Fortunately, he and Dylan have always kept a mutual respect for one another which has always been a comfort in the midst of chaos. I heard Daniel ask us almost every day if we would reconsider Chipotle and couldn't the news of their using GMO possibly (and hopefully) be incorrect...to which we said no and wouldn't budge and neither would he in his persistence ;)

He will be back for his break next Wednesday while many of his team will be in Alaska for JO's (junior olympics) testing their hard work and anticipating the pay off of a national title.  He expected to be there too but God chose another route for this season.  He chose personal growth over accomplishment.  I understand how difficult that reality can be.We feel as if we are stuck, and while it seems any effort we attempt, we are unable to make a move, but at the right time, which is God's time, we are thrust into our purpose and His promise. While Daniel's teammates are skiing in their final competitive venue for the season with the best of the best in the country, Daniel will be having his assessment with Dr. Buhler and his A.M.I.T. (Advanced Muscle Integration Techniques) and subsequent treatment sessions and God willing he will be on the snow by the summer (and he is hoping sooner) ...ME TOO! But yet we have to wait...and trust.

The new aspect of Daniel being off the snow this year that is such an indicator of him not living his passion is not his restlessness he typically has when he is not skiing, but this year it is the uncertainty of his ability of when he can re-engage. He is usually so satisfied during the winter and so confident of what he can do each day as he has always been able to work toward his goals. This year I am reminding him of how well he is doing academically which certainly has impressive merit in and of itself, although I appreciate that he wants more regarding his achievements.

This winter had its challenges for all of us.  For Daniel, it was a season of moving across the country and settling in a foreign land with strangers so that he could pursue his passion, but sadly his injury left him disappointed and struggling to keep his perspective.  On our end, while we too moved and acclimated to a new life in a new land and with new hope and expectation, we felt much like the Israelites, shuffled and disheveled but looking at our promised land with enchantment and enthusiasm as well as anticipation but not without feeling the pains of the afterbirth.  While most of the experience has been fresh and exciting and filled with satisfaction, it is still bittersweet.  I have learned though, that it is within those transitions of life it is critical to remember that it matter not whether or we feel the pressure of an oppressive world upon us, we must keep our focus upon The One who gives us our passion and our purpose.  What He has ordained for His purpose, will be accomplished according to His plan.

I find the two distinct paths inseparable:  Daniel's personal journey and our entire life...they are analogous and critically parallel but yet there is a difference.  He is traversing and expecting to conquer the land without the knowledge of experience and we have been scalded by ours,  but one thing remains the same and even continues to grow for both of us and that is our faith.  We walk it out according to His call.  We trust Him. We look ONLY to Him for our placement, our position and our provisions.

Daniel's faith is being defined and ours redefined.  In both of our interpretations and at every level, our God is to be trusted and He has proven Himself in countless ways in our life.  He will prove Himself in countless ways in Daniel's life as well.  It is exciting for me to know that and watch it play out just as I knew God was up to something very big with our challenges.

I see his anticipation and hear his heart and know he is disappointed beyond his understanding and even struggles with how to interpret it but I see his smiles and his projections regarding his future and I know it is well with his soul.

I got a glimpse into his heart the other day when he attempted to ski this weekend and had to quit because he ankle hurt but his dad and his brothers continued to have the best day of their life on fresh powder.  I asked him when he came home if he was disappointed and he said, "I am not worried about not skiing 'for days' but about not being able to ski next year." I realized in that moment that while his body may not be keeping up with his desires, his heart and soul are learning irreplaceable life lessons that will shape not only the boy, but the man.  I reassured him that God has this and He often calls us to walk through difficult circumstances for purposes, that while not visibly seen, are necessary for His call upon our life.  I reminded him that we are going to seek the best for his success and while his body may be growing more quickly than certain parts can keep up with which creates added stress and unique situations in which he cannot adapt to at this particular time, it is also a miraculous vessel and its healing potential is infinite when we get to the root cause (which we are about to do).  Even typing that thought reminds me that is even true of our own bodies in their growth.  Our minds receive but it is required of our hearts to listen.  That is often extremely difficult to accomplish when our hearts are not in understanding of how to do so.  And again we are faced with entering a place of surrender and trust...and that requires patience.  At different stages of life, various parts of the body are required to grow in their function. Daniel's journey/our journey...both watching and waiting upon God.

While I may not have seen "contentedness" from him as I usually do in this winter season, I have absolutely seen growth, maturity and elements of him becoming a man...an impressive man :)  And when he asked me if we were going to church on Sunday, I knew that this child, is seeking not just the reassurance of his mom or dad, but of his Father, his Abba Father.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. ~Romans 5:3-5

WRITING OUT LOUD

There are times when the only way to get out what you feel is to sit down and process it.  As someone who has very little focused energy unless I am writing, this is where I express my heart and watch the words hit the screen and I often wonder where they came from.  I know what is in my heart, perhaps too much so as it leaves me feeling incapable and frustrated, but quickly replaced with that feeling is what matters far more:  KNOWING that I am chosen for purpose, that while my journey has left me scarred and at times continues to wound me, I KNOW that as a daughter of the King, I will ALWAYS triumph.  He trusts us.  I take that very seriously.  I may not always know WHAT I am doing, but I do at least always know WHY I am doing it.  At times that fact is a reality check and at times it gives me comfort...especially in times such as we have lived through most recently, where our best efforts were mistaken, misunderstood, maligned and maliciously misconstrued.

I don't focus on them as they were the springboard to a greater purpose.  I have often said that those who meant to harm us should be written a Thank You.  While there are endless ways that the enemy relentlessly tries to sabotage, especially when we are so on purpose, our focus MUST stay in ONE place and that is on the power of ONE...the ONE who created us, our purpose and our ability to feel the sting of life as well as the victory when the enemy is defeated.

I read something in my Bible this morning and while I have tossed many emotions around in my head in recent weeks, I was even more excited by what I was reminded of in Psalm 71. Beginning in verse 20, it reads:  Though you have made me see trouble, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.
Verse 23-25: My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you--I, whom you have redeemed. My tongue will tell of your righteousness all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

While this is something I know and trust in, waiting for God's timing is the most difficult.  We cannot expect Him to move according to our desires and based upon my past experiences, I know that it is ALWAYS worth the wait!

Righteousness is the basis of the reign of God.  It is not ours, but His.  Remembering that is what will sustain our patience as well as see the demonstration of His power when it is unleashed.  He wants us to depend upon His strength and not our own.  I believe that is why at times we feel so ill-equipped and He puts us in situations with "giants."

We always have a choice: to focus on the "giants" or to give the One who created them as well and knows their hearts, the opportunity to move on our behalf.  I am reminded of Joshua and Caleb who went to see the promised land and while it was flowing with milk and honey it was also filled with giants.  Most focused on the giants, but Joshua and Caleb focused on God and the opportunity ahead.  God honored their faith.  They received the land. The others accepted the report of the majority and it created fear in them and they never received the blessing God had for them but Joshua and Caleb trusted God and they experienced the fullness of the promise.

While I have scripts in my mind and things I would love to say and do, and in some way work toward my own vindication, I realize how important it is to wait.  Waiting without action is not apathy when we are waiting on the One who controls our destiny and teaches us as we trust Him.

Be encouraged about the plan of God in your life.  Be encouraged about the favor of God upon your life.  And be encouraged about the power of God over your life.  While "giants" are a part of this life, they are not part of your destiny!

It doesn't matter who likes you or who doesn't.  The main thing is, Almighty God likes you.  He has accepted you.  He has approved you.   ~Joel Osteen

The Journey Is NOT Your Destination

Realizing the significance of another year, while it just seems to be the turn of the hands of the clock, if you seek its connection to the rites of the passages of life, it can project the pain of our purpose that needed to be refined with the hopes of our dreams all wrapped up into the start of the new year it represents.
While it feels as if we are just surviving the stress relating to our struggles, understanding there is definite purpose within,  creates a hope and an opportunity to trust the One who allows what comes into our lives for reasons that we cannot possibly understand and leaves us marked with scars we will honor as well as experience triumphs we cannot forget.
The degree to which God can use us is the degree to which we trust Him.  We cannot possibly know the outcome of our trials, but we can remember the verse that keeps us focused on the end of our struggle.  Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
With each challenge we realize that the world's system is futile.  There is nothing that boasts with any authority of peace or even understanding.  Foolish minds make decisions that have futile consequences and destroy the very essence of what matters or what shows itself true.  When we hope in that system we are disappointed.
Through my own heart, I have grappled with the lack of logic that has at times seemed to prevail in our personal challenges.  I have often wondered why (or perhaps more correctly stated), for how long God would allow evil to have its way.  I have struggled to accept a role of my calling and I have believed God for protection and provision in ways that I honestly KNEW He would sustain and yet it appeared (even through my own eyes at times) that He wasn't paying attention to the degree of necessity for His promises and His character to be accurately reflected within.
I would wrestle with myself, with my lack of belief at times and quickly chastise myself as I would remember that God does allow evil to reign for a time, but ONLY so far as it serves its purposes for which He allows.
I can't take credit for my faith in His love or His power, but I can be thankful and remind myself that I have needed every crumb of that faith for my sustenance.
I look at the world with its efforts of repairing damage that was selfishly created for appearances and I see so clearly the confusion and chaos that man's efforts create.  I wonder why it isn't more obvious to intelligent minds and then I am reminded of James 4:6 which says:  God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  We may feel like the attacks against our families and our culture and even our world is winning at times, but with the assertion of the little faith we have, if directed solely toward Him and what He is capable of, we will be victorious and redirected toward greater purpose that had we not suffered at all.
Do not give in to the seemingly overpowering efforts that can wreak havoc and destroy hope but focus on the One who has the ultimate power and authority over EVERY aspect that is within our existence...after all He created the mind of the human being and He gave them dominion over the earth and all that is in it.  Genesis 1:27-28 says: So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created He them.  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.
When the power is misused and the innocent are the victims (which is more often than not the case because of sin), there is no better focus to place your faith other than on the One who gave it in the first place.  When the power that is against us is great, remember that the power that is for us is greater still when we trust Him.  That trust cannot be represented apart from a relationship with Jesus, but when that is in place, those who oppose you WILL be brought down...it is not a matter of if, but when.
As you are living today to begin another year, remember the victory that WILL be yours.  Remember the life that is yet to be lived for greater purpose than you can imagine and remember the power of the One who desires that purpose to unfold through you. Hebrews 1:10-11, a verse that has always come into clear focus through each adversarial proceeding in my life says: "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
As you walk this scripture out, knowing His love and purpose for you, think of the opportunity to apply a new attitude to your pain in the new year.  If the oppression comes through the efforts of others, think of Psalm 37:7:  "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.  Don't worry (easier said than done ;) about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes." I am living proof of having to push my thoughts away from my tendency to fret about such efforts.  But what I will tell you is that I am also living proof of Lamentations 3:22-24: "The unfailing love of the Lord NEVER ends! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction.  Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each day.  I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance, therefore, I will hope in Him!"
There is something unmistakeable and unable to be spoken of in words that happens when this becomes reality and you move from your pain to your purpose:  I believe it is because our spirit is in alignment with His and we feel His love which is beyond the ability of human explanation.  There is no other way to know this but through experience...and isn't it just like God that when the pain is so terrific, there is no scene that replaces the one that has been lived out in our heart?
May this new year create a new hope for you.  Regardless of where you are or what you are struggling with, remember Who it is that has the final say, and remember that He is for you, not against you and if He is for us, then who can be against us?  (Romans 8:31)  While the power that can rise against us seems to be relentless, it will end at just the right time and for just the right purpose that will be continued for even greater purpose than we realized before it began.

Looking back upon my journey that left me weary and expectant all at once, I am reminded of a verse I wish I had been more successful in applying and I would encourage you to work at this one above all others:  Psalm 46:10: "Be still and KNOW that I am GOD." If we place our hope exclusively in Him, and apply our energy that is often wasted in worry to this simplistic statement, He will not disappoint that posture of our minds and hearts.  After all, He created our minds as well as our hearts and knows the challenges we have overcoming their natural inclinations.  And when mercy shows itself and grace abounds until, you begin to live your life in a most impactful way that re-energizes your love for Him and your inability to comprehend His love for you.

TO HONOR THE MAN I MARRIED. THIS IS HIM!

A birthday celebration with our best friends tonight for my husband. I do not know of a man alive that lives by his convictions without wavering to the degree that he does, honors the role of husband and provider and ENJOYS making me happy, invests himself 100% with every one of his children, prays for and with his patients daily and searches and researches and asks God for the answers to the missing pieces so that he can further add to his already vast knowledge so that he can help more people...and God gives it to him! I even have watched my husband suffer with a sickness "without answers" or cure...and find healing and a purpose with which he is impacting the WORLD through that same faith in JESUS that continues to lead him, endure other challenges that most would have crumbled under and continue to trust God for what is on the "other side" of the mountain that made those struggles necessary in God's sight. Well friends...we are almost to the other side of the mountain...I will call it PARK CITY :))) I am blessed to be this man's wife and consider my husband HIGHLY FAVORED and loved by God with a special love that I often marvel at. I can't imagine life with ANY ONE else as our strengths and weaknesses are perfectly complementary and our passion for truth and purpose are equally matched as well. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANNY!!! 

Shifting Gears

Today was a day of shifts.  The weather is shifting, there is a shift of years as Simon is soon to turn 9 and even a giant shift is becoming so evident in our life.  Saying Goodbye to friends and family (even that in shifts today) is a process that reminds me of the seasons that change beneath the clouds of storms.  Every storm passes and every rainbow births a promise.

Our old office (where we have not been in over 2 years was closed this weekend as the doctor moved into a new space and my husband's greatest fan, Heather, sent texts to us through her tears as she "packed it up"  and reminded us of how much she loved working there, how my husband changed her life and that she was saved in that office.  She, too, said "I know this chapter is ending with an even greater one beginning but I just needed to pause in the middle of the chaotic moving process and tell you how much I love you and am so excited for your next chapter...."  Her words reminded me of the mourning we have already done...many times over it seems; trusting in God to not only see us through but not waste one day of it and replace that pain with something that would be eternal and exciting with an expectation of ONLY GOD attached to it.  Reminding her it was time for her to "begin her new dance" is something that I realized Danny and I had already begun long ago (perhaps as early as when Danny first got sick), although finding our feet has been the longest of journeys and walked alone it seems much of the time without the security of our footing beneath us to carry us with any step of our own for a purpose which is not.  Reflecting, I realize that is just the way God wants it.  Utter dependence upon the Master for the piece that He is creating that we cannot possibly understand except when we look from the rear view.

One of my dearest friends, Jaynee, who has come into my life by God's design and stood faithful in prayer for our family has too experienced her own shift of life getting married yesterday.  I realized as I was reading what she wrote to me that God is so faithful to the cries and pain of our heart.  Her words lifted me to an eternal perspective when she shared her heart and said something so touching to me recounting my voice mail message to her:  "I am amazed by your sweet and timely words.  As usual, they hit their mark.  I'm overwhelmed with gratitude about so much and most of those things can be traced back to you and your faithful prayers and friendship."  She thanked me for those prayers (as undeserving as I felt reading them) and then she added this: "For without them, I might have given up and never realized that what I hold now is worth every bit of the journey and pain which pressed me into something brand new."  I understand that so well...I understand the pain of closing a door that someone else slammed shut first, I understand the pain of feeling forced to move on when things feel comfortable and I also understand waiting until God says "It's time."  Perhaps that is why I am not sad...I realize that we have walked a journey that has led to a life yet to be discovered for a greater purpose than even which we have suffered.  I have repeatedly said that when the pain of holding on is greater than letting go, then letting go brings a greater sense of finality as well as a greater hope of trust in a God who loves us and is deliberately involved in our journey toward our destination.  As she shared that perspective as well, I looked at her marriage and the joy within it that is causing her soul to sing as the way the destination of hope will be culminated in a unique way for each of us as God restores the years of thievery.

I have learned that those who "hear" are more unforgiving than those who "see."  While those who see develop a perspective that cannot be diminished as they walk through their experiences, those who hear can convince themselves of anything they choose and what they choose usually is determined by their own conscience and its limited and self-righteous perspectives.  I have also learned that being able to lay pride aside and focus not on what others want you to be, but on what He wants you to be is where your soul and your heart become united.  When those two entities connect, the ability to reach beyond ourselves becomes unlimited, what we expect from life becomes unlimited and what we know God is capable of in our lives also becomes unlimited.

The next time you contemplate a battle, contemplate a purpose for it and contemplate what you will risk for it.  While you may not understand or appreciate the losses associated with making progress, just remember you actually do not have to.  Simply trust Him and follow Him as He leads you.  Within the darkness, the light of day is born.

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 hope and a future.

How God Shows Himself Faithful....

I wanted to connect my feelings with my faith as I fly back home to Pennsylvania after leaving Daniel on the other side of the country in California to begin his 9th gade year of high school.  The process of our actions aligning with our will is only satisfying of of lasting value when there is reconciliation between the choices we make and our destiny.

Many years ago, while Danny and I were still going to school in Atlanta, we went to visit his aunt in San Francisco and spent some time in Lake Tahoe.  Danny told me many stories of his childhood with the fondest of memories encapsulated within his time there and within the confines of their property which was built on the lake.  Knowing Danny as I did even then, I immediately understood why his heart seemed to be rooted in the soil of this majestic place.  We haven't been back since.

This past school year while many of Daniel's friends visited more than a few boarding schools as they sought out the one that was best for them, Daniel only visited one...this one.  He came home after almost a week on the snow before his state finals for alpine skiing and was extremely excited with the training he received and the experience he shared.  I received more than I expected form their desire to have Daniel attend their school.  I knew it was an impressive academic environment as well, which was priority number one for me.  While our lives at that time were being lived out one day at a time with very little ability to plan, their encouragement for us to take the next step and apply was my first step toward trusting God for Daniel's future, regardless of our own uncertainties.

I really didn't know if it would be possible for him to be there, although I knew it was his heart's desire to be and so we both tucked it away as our only option out of any other that moved us both, but like most desires of our heart, categorized even the thought as an exercise in hope and faith.

Daniel had confidence in what this school could and would offer him and I knew his connection to one of the greatest desires of his heart was out of my hands and firmly placed into the hands of God.

When the formal acceptance letter came with what they could offer to him as a scholarship, I was excited but intimidated.  I knew we couldn't yet afford to agree to the difference, but like my son, I couldn't not ask and hope for more.  Again, knowing that God has this child's (and every child's) life ordained, I had all the courage I needed to be thankful for the offer but to also be bloody honest about our limitations.

Behind closed doors, Danny would fret knowing how hard Daniel worked at becoming the best that he could possibly be as a downhill ski racer with the opportunities that surrounded him and this was a child that deserved a chance to pursue his dream but we wouldn't be wise agreeing to it.

Daniel has always minimized everything that stands in his way with a plan of action and to everyone that knows him, he will do whatever he can to overcome every obstacle that represents restriction.  While I am wired in much the same way, I realized Daniel is in greater touch with reality than even me, as he, at his young age, has in many ways earned his badge of being honored.  He has sacrificed his parents for a greater call, a few of them actually, and has even watched us be stripped in ways that (I often acquiesce in my mind) represent failure even though nothing in our language or lifestyle of poise and purpose reflects apathy or surrender.  Since there was nothing to lose and as far as I am concerned, everything for him to gain, we were gracious and thankful but had to risk perception and potentially miss out and ask for more.  Round two proved to be worth laying my hopes and my heart down for.

Our financial limitations created concern but our faith was hopeful knowing if it was God's will, then He would make it happen.  Not every obstacle in life is necessarily easy to overcome but every objection is able to be understood as an exercise in faith and ultimately trusting in God to be our Provider enables us to experience miracles.  Fortunately, there wasn't just an inability to refuse the school's second offer, but there was a position in my head that matched my heart which were perfectly aligned with every aspect of what I know to be true about God's calling and purpose for our lives: our destination will be determined by our ability to let go.  That reality superseded all.  The added and enhanced provision came to me through nothing but my heart being connected to God's...as uncertain as our future can seem at times, what I knew from Day 1 of our journey with Dylan and Olivia was being secured by a loving God who saw Daniel's sacrifice and knew his pain and was now securing his feet on the mountaintop of his dreams.

Is it any surprise that my husband's heart's desires are being lived out in many ways through his son?  Does not every parent who wants the best for their children feel an element of satisfaction in their soul when their own limitations take flight?  And does not God have ways of speaking to us and reminding us of His love when we pause to assess the pain and plan He allows for a greater good?  And is it any wonder that the child who has been so emotionally connected to our pain is now planted and developing his own roots in the soil God has planted him (and the same as my husband had his own expanded within many years ago) as we wait for our own roots to begin to be replanted in ways and places for purposes with a lasting value that can only be accomplished by letting go and trusting Him?

Driving up to Donner Pass Summit with the incredible presence of the powerful landscape was an experience that fortified my faith and served as a gnawing reminder of what this day meant, this season of life has meant and how it has helped me stay the course through so many difficulties and challenges.  God suddenly and overwhelmingly connected my heart with my emotions and I will NEVER forget what that felt like or what it meant to me.  My special and soul-tossed son was about to embark on his own journey that will lead him beyond his dreams and to his purpose and my husband and I are the privileged ones chosen by God to guide him there.

I have been here before during others calls upon my life and while the outcome has been a journey to be walked out in faith and has had countless twists and turns with what has often felt like relentless insecurity and overwhelming uncertainty, the endless impartations of God's amazing grace and mercy has refreshed my soul in ways I wouldn't trade for anything.  I honestly believe and therefore move in ways of anticipation and reassurance from God's word that what adversity has taken, faith will restore...and because of desiring to trust God to lead, I expect I will experience every interesection with this trepidation that connects with my faith to restore what I initially have lost many, many ways and times over.

Applying a standard for my children to follow their heart is something that I am purposed to do, in the same way that I am purposed to be Danny's wife and support his calling that was birthed out of his adversity.  Daniel is the next anointed one then another and another and another and so on until each has arrived at the own destination.  Why would that be easy?  What is at stake has eternal consequence and impact as well as a legacy attached to it that leads the generations to follow.

When criticism comes, and it has and it does and it will, remember who you are serving.  If it is God, then His viewpoint and provisions are the ones to be considered, no one else's.  When He makes your heart align with your head, especially when what is at stake tears at your soul, you do not have to question whether or not you are making the right choice, you will know that you are.  That is the side trip and the main path of spiritual growth.  There are many of them in a life well lived.  Sadly, many fear the pain of growth so much and they risk nothing out of their fear.  While I understand why, I would encourage you to trust in God more than in yourself.  In so doing, you will grow in your service, you will find satisfaction and peace in your challenges and you will lean in and on your God, who wants nothing more than to be your rock and your fortress. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

I walked away from Daniel today processing my expectations of him and all I asked of him was this (and I wrote it to him in a text): to make prayer a priority.  I told him he can do it anywhere and that is doesn't have to be planned or restrictive.  I told him that God loves him and favors him.  The truth is that God loves all of us and favors us all, but too few of us are willing to lay down what matters most to us and trust Him with our precious possessions so that we can experience His power that is made manifest in our weakness.  The bible says that "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2Corinthians 12:9.  I used to think I couldn't live without certain securities and what I have learned through many difficulties is that I can't live without the One who loves us through those difficulties so that we increase our capacity to experience more and become more so that He is all the more interested in the lives of those He calls us to lead.  My son is just one of those.  If I embrace His will for Daniel, how much more can I embrace His will for me...and for you and for the others He leads me to?

May none of us that understand purpose ever miss out on our very reason for living.  May we always be able to respond to our hearts, understanding that their desires are wired within much like a primal need.  Where we end up is directly proportional to what and how much of ourselves and what we hold dear, what we risk, and realizing that as we do the greatest accomplishment is not measured by what we can purchase but in what we invest.

"The mother loves her child most divinely, not when she surrounds him with comfort and anticipates his wants, but when she resolutely holds him to the highest standards and is content with nothing less than his best." ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

When Words Work

Words are insignificant when the revelations are from the heart...those perspectives are ONLY possible with Faith!


I have met many "professionals" leading me in destructive ways.  I have met those who touched my heart and led me through.  I have never wavered or doubted my way...even when my words were few and through.
Today I was given this "gift" from my attorney.  He knows my heart and the truth.  Sometimes the comfort comes through the words that encourage me as they did today, but every day they come through my faith that leads the way :)

This is as much for me as it is for my boys (and Olivia too ;)  To overcome opposition is what makes a success!  And EVERY ONE of my children are already successful!

Rudyard Kipling

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!