"Little Sally Walker"

“Little Sally Walker walking down the street, she didn’t know what to do, so she stopped in front of me.  Hey girl do your thing, do your thing now switch!  Hey girl do your thing, do your thing now switch!”

                This little game is done while a group of girls stand in a circle and say the chant.  One girl dances around the middle of the circle, chooses a girl to stop in front of, and “do her thing”…aka, dance.  The new girl imitates the dance moves, they switch places and then the new girl dances in the middle.  It starts over with the chant until each girl has had a turn.  If you watch kids play this game, you realize that not one of them is embarrassed about dancing, but they really put everything into and are proud to show the others what moves they have!

This little game could be applied to our lives.  While you are dancing through life, there are others watching you, taking note of your actions.  I hope that whoever I stop in front of to “do my thing” sees characteristics in me that point to Him.  I hope I am able to be imitated in a way that would honor Him: because in a short time, the one watching me will dance off and inspire someone else!  Hopefully, Godly examples and influences will pass from one to another so that He is magnified while we are simply “doing our thing”!           

 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body...”

Philippians 1:20  KJV

Beads, Rhinestones, and Feathers, Oh My!

     I have a special drawer in my old room at Mom and Dad’s house.  Whenever I open this drawer, I get an overwhelming sense of happiness.  This drawer is full of necklaces.  I’m not just talking necklaces, I’m talking beads, rhinestones, feathers, leather, and every color you could ever imagine!  They are not the most organized necklaces, most are tucked away in zip-lock baggies, but there they are...just waiting to be worn!  Some of them haven’t gotten out of the drawer in a while and others are worn a lot, but they are always there, just waiting the chance to make an appearance.

                I think that somewhere in Heaven, the Lord has a drawer.  When he opens the drawer he smiles because it is full of our Heavenly crowns, glittering and gleaming in His light.  Everyone has one just waiting on us to get their so we can put it on.  I want to make sure that my crown is claimed one day! 

“… he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.”

James 1:12 KJV

                *And P.S. -  I also believe with my whole heart that He won’t let me down…I think my crown will have beads, diamonds, feathers, and every beautiful color I can imagine!  

Just Hangin’ Out in the Whale’s Belly

           We’ve heard the story of Jonah since we were kids.  Jonah disobeyed the Lord’s command and subsequently was swallowed by a whale.  He spent 3 days and 3 nights in the belly praying. 

            We often times get “swallowed by a whale” in life.  Things happen around us and, just like Jonah, we try to handle it ourselves or run from it all together.  That’s when the Lord has to step in and put us in a spot where there is nothing for us to do but call upon Him.  Just like the whale’s belly, those places are dark, lonely, scary, and no doubt smelly, but it’s there that the Lord has our complete and unabashed attention.  The Lord doesn’t want us to abandon difficult situations, He wants us to face them head on with His help and guidance.

            Jonah stayed in his whale’s belly for 3 days and 3 nights.  We might have to stay in the belly a lot longer, however, it’s when the whale cracks open its mouth, we get a ray of sunshine and realize that He is still right there with us.  Jonah’s whale was courteous enough to spit him up on dry land and we might not get so lucky:  we might have to tread a little bit of water before making it to dry ground.  But as we are riding that vomit wave to shore, we can smile and know that He didn’t forget us…He needed us to hang out in the whale’s belly in order to learn something.  What is He trying to teach you? 

“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.”

Proverbs 1:5  KJV

I Thought of You

I thought of you when they put the scarlet robe in place,

I thought of you when blood from the thorns trickled down my face.

I thought of you when I was drenched from their mocking spit,

I thought of you when I was beaten and hit.

I thought of you as I carried the cross to my fate,

I thought of you as I collapsed under its weight.

I thought of you as the crowd screamed die instead of live,

I thought of you as I asked my Father to forgive.

I thought of you as the nails pierced my skin,

I thought of you as watched my mother weep – broken from within.

I thought of you as I cried out for my Father to hear it,

I thought of you as I took my last breath, giving up my spirit.

I thought of you as I was guarded in the tomb that night,

I thought of you as I rose in my Heavenly flight.

I thought of you as I begged the Holy Spirit to bring you to your knee,

I think of you often…do you think of me?

Do I Know You?

                Several years ago my sister and I, along with a friend took a vacation to the beach.  We made the 9 hour trip in about 14 hours (before the days of GPS and not one of us could read a map) and spent our days laying on the beach, soaking up the sun, no makeup and no cares in the world.  We met some boys one day while in the ocean (not the best meeting spot, FYI) and hung out with them that day on the beach until we went in to get ready for dinner.  We got changed and lookin pretty good and headed into the elevator where we happened to run into the same boys.  They politely said “hello” back, but it was obvious they didn’t really want to talk.  We were kind of puzzled until one of them took a double look and finally said, “Oh HEY!  We didn’t really recognize you guys with makeup on!”  Apparently, we all 3 look quite different without makeup…kind of like entirely different people!

                That little story not only makes me think about maybe toning down the makeup, but also how I want others to see me spiritually.  I don’t want to put on a Christian ‘look’ or ‘front’ when I am out somewhere and then come home and take it off, only to be someone completely unrecognizable.  I want others to recognize me as a Christian no matter where I am or what I’m doing.  I don’t want them to have to do a double take and think, “oh, she’s a Christian…I couldn’t tell!”  I want to be recognized by His light shining through me in my appearance, my actions, my speech, my friends, every aspect of my life.  Can people recognize you as a Christian no matter where you are?

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20  KJV