Do you see what I see?

Lately I have been challenged to stop and see the beauty. So often we can feel, hear or smell the beauty because most of the time, those senses can happen without a pause to find it. You can smell fresh cut grass, Spring flowers or lotion from a newborn baby without having to tell your nose to find the smell so you can enjoy it. Your hands and body can feel the wind or the softness of clean sheets. Your ears hear birds chipping in the morning at sunrise, the crashing waves hitting the beaches shores or your little one breathing while laying on your chest. We can sometimes tune these things out but for me, I tune my vision out a lot more often than I can these other senses. Two beautiful things were pointed out to me yesterday on a drive that I drive two or three times a week and yet I had never laid eyes upon them until yesterday. Then as we were about to turn on to my road, my cousin asked me, "do you just look at your house every time you take this turn & are so thankful for its beauty". I said, no but I used to, now I see the junk that we have let pile up on this end or the yard work that needs to be done. She didn't ask this because we have some new, big, modern house, because we don't. I did however, used to do exactly what she was saying. I even used to stop at the beginning of my driveway to admire the beauty, the beauty being where God has placed us. Nowadays I zoom up my driveway as fast as I can get up it.
At my small group, which my church calls care groups, my friend told us about a book that she is reading where it has challenged her to pause and pray and give thanks every hour of the day. She brought this up because we are doing a church-wide study on a booked called, 30 Day Church Challenge. On one of the days, the book tells you to go outside and take a walk, study the markings on a tree, listen to the birds, just do something to embrace the beauty that the Lord has and still creates for us. Between Janine and this study, I am challenged to pause to see the beauty.
Somethings that I have seen beauty in lately:
I saw my 8yr bring tears of joy to a mourning widow yesterday by a drawing that she made.
I saw a lady that was treated unjust and bitter turn her response from, eye for an eye, to a compassionate prayer for the one that hurt her.
I saw my husband wink and smirk at me, my gosh at the times that I have not noticed those.
I saw a hurting sister looking out into a field, basking at it's beauty that her brother had seen in that very spot so many times.
I saw my mom weep with and comfort a mourning niece.
I saw a family put bitterness aside to smile and cry together.
I saw my son sitting next to me while I was having "my" time on facebook and noticed that he wanted HIS time with Mom.
I saw hurt in  my son's eyes and instead of turning to anger, he came to receive comfort.
I saw two grandchildren sitting on the front row with their Papa, the pastor at church, I saw a legacy continuing.
I saw laughter and light in a man's eyes, a man that hasn't felt worthy of it in years.
I saw a man praising the Lord in worship, a man that used to not care, I saw a wife's answer to prayers.

This is all since Sunday, today is Friday. 

Freedom, I WILL fight for you!

Well here I am in 2013 and God is telling me, "this is your year to be set FREE Betty"! Honestly I just sighed as I finished typing that sentence. Why? Well because you don't just say, I am free and then all of a sudden you are free, there's work involved! I know, there shouldn't be, Christ came to set us free, he did the ultimate action, he did it ALL right? Oh wait, there is that one sneaky slimy enemy out there that works day and night on our insecurities, weaknesses of the flesh, pride, doubt and fears. Does this mean that this won't be my year? Am I hearing God wrong because it seems like we have to fight the enemy constantly. Sigh, or did he mean that this is your year to choose to live in FREEDOM, your year to not just lye down and let the devil tell you that you can't do this or that. To not just stand at the gate wanting so desperately to burst through but not feeling like you have any chance at all. You know the gate, the gate that is wrapped so thick with insecurity that you wonder why you those feelings of actually wanting to burst through it even came to your mind at all?
So this is my year!  I might not, all at once, run at full force and burst through every gate that I have allowed satan to stand guard at but this is my year to scream out in the Name of Jesus, I have the power to knock you down and then tackle it. I must first believe that I have the power in me. The Word says if we are Christians then Christ is in us. Sure, I have been saved and I have known that Christ lives in me but when facing those gates that hold me back, how much am I believing the part that says we have his power because he is in us? Believing is a choice and therefore if I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth and I am taking steps toward those gates. I must then tackle it by action, by doing what the Lord tells me to do, by hearing who He says that I am, by listening to His instructions and obeying Him.

Galatians 5:1

The Message (MSG)

The Life of Freedom

5 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.