Monday Dance

Generally speaking, we do the Happy Dance on Friday....it's the end of the week and we are ready for a change of pace, sleeping in, going out with friends...

Well, this morning, for a change I put on some tunes and found myself doing a Monday dance. I'll share with you my favorite song at the end of this blog. The lyrics share the sentiment in my heart. I want to encourage you and my own self today, sing a song of praise to Him. Put on a tune you know gets your focus on Him....sing it loud, sing it strong, don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear, just sing....sing a song. Anybody remember those lyrics??? I've probably just dated myself:)

Okay, here's my favorite dancin tune...find yours or play this one if you can find it. It's a great one to download! Dance girls!....we have so much to be joyful about! We are not alone. We are precious to Him. Nothing you are going through is bigger than our God. AMEN!

IT'S GON BE NICE

CHORUS

Well, well, it's gon be nice...it's gon be nice
Whatever's in store for me...it's gon be nice
It's crazy right now, Lord, but that's when You shine
I can't stop shouting...oh...it's gon be nice.

You never promised me that my days would be problem free
But You did promise to always take care of me
Right now it seems that my troubles will never end
I know You've promised to be my closest friend

CHORUS

I gotta remind myself daily who lives inside of me
And when I stay close to You, close to me You're gonna be
No more crying about my situation, I know what I gotta do
Gotta pray, gotta trust, gotta believe...depend on You...yah

CHORUS

BRIDGE
I don't have the right to give up
I don't have the right to give in
You're gonna bring me through so
I'm gonna put my trust in You

CHORUS

YOLANDA ADAMS


A little postscript here....since I started this blog... one of my sons has come home sick from school throwing up... a little girl I babysit came to me saying... Look at my hands, look at my hands! Yes, they were covered in..you guessed it POO!

Well, girls, it's still GON BE NICE! Have a great week:)

Ashes Back to Ashes?

Cinderella has been rescued by her Prince. She dreamed her whole life that someone would come and release her from scrubbing the floors, being holed up in the attic, and the nagging of her demanding stepmother and jealous stepsisters. But more than anything she longed to be loved and adored. To be considered beautiful in someone's eyes. She had found this in her beloved Prince.

The wedding was beautiful. No expense was spared. She had the finest of the fine. The prince's Father and mother adored Cinderella and welcomed her into their family with open arms. Our palace is your home. We have been waiting for a daughter to come into our kingdom and assist the prince with many decisions. This is your time, Cinderella. Whatever parts of living in the palace seem foreign to you simply ask and we will help you. Everything you need is here.

After living in the palace for several months Cinderella began to question how she could ever live up to the expectations that she felt were upon her. She remembered where she had come from and began to believe that truly the Prince had made a mistake in marrying her. She was not cut out for life in a palace. She didn't know what pieces of silver to use when she ate, the clothing seemed too lavish for her, the language of the kingdom was difficult to comprehend.

Without consulting the Prince or his parents she made a decision. She would remain married to the Prince and visit the palace periodically. She would, however, live in her old dwelling place. One night, after everyone was sleeping she snuck out and made her way down the path to her stepmother's house. Quietly she crept up to the attic and crawled into her well-remembered bed. The blanket was as dirty as ever, the room cold and dark, the scrub brush and mop stood in the dusty corner... but this was familiar and strangely gave her a feeling of comfort. This is where she truly belonged....the Prince would understand.

The Prince however, did not understand. You are my bride, my love, my life...we cannot be apart like this. Everything you need is with me. What you don't understand, I will teach you. You have forgotten that it takes a lifetime to learn the ways of the kingdom. There is always something new with each daybreak. But we can face these things together. Not knowing something does not disqualify you as my Bride...

Somehow Cinderella had stopped believing that the Prince's love was enough. What if he realized that he had chosen with a lack of wisdom? What if she proved to be a great disappointment? It was better not to fail Him. She suggested that she would be part of the kingdom and help from a distance. She would faithfully work FOR the Prince but relinquish the priveleges of working WITH him as his Bride.

Soon she found herself back in the daily routine of being harassed by her relatives, confined to her room and her duties. The Prince would often come by and knock on the door but Cinderella could not bear to open it. She was doing her duty as a member of the kingdom and that was enough. And yet she could not deny her longing to be free. She felt it rise and fall within her. Some days she glanced at the door and remembered the path to the palace. Should she? Could she? It was too shameful. She was not who or what the Prince thought she was.

The story of Cinderella we can all relate to. We have been rescued by our Prince, Jesus. He has brought us into His kingdom because of His great love for us. We have truly been called into the Kingdom for such a time as this. But many of us are living as captives. We are captives but we have the key to freedom around our necks!

BELIEVING is the key. If I don't believe that I am loved and accepted that is how I will live. I will live suspicious of others and their motives. I will not trust that Jesus truly paid the price....surely there is something I must do in order to stay in the Kingdom. I will believe that my failures and weaknesses change how He feels about me. That is why HE came! That is the Gospel! He is strong in our inadequacies. Any fruit that comes out of our lives that is lasting will be born out of our relationship with Jesus. Focus on Him and your "doing" will be true.

If in anyway, you've made decisions that have led you on a path to your old dwelling place, turn your little self around and run back to the palace. THat is where you belong....open your eyes and BELIEVE.

Dive in!

I started swimming lessons when I was four. I was fearless they tell me. I have so many childhood memories of me and the water. Getting badge after badge at each progressive level....front crawl, back stroke, butterfly, diving stances.

I remember water parks with crazy winding slides, high diving boards I did flips off of,searching for pennies for hours on the blue bottom. Remember hand stands under water and seeing how far you could go before capsizing?

One year I remember specifically, our family was on vacation at a lake in Northern Saskatchewan. The water would not be considered even remotely warm, trust me! My sister and I were not deterred by this or hindered in any way. The bathing suits went on and the running off the teetering dock began. Over and over again into the frigid water. We were crazy! The rocks were slimy, the seaweed swayed with the current and brushed against our legs, convincing us we were swimming with a school of fish. It was an adventure and we were part of it.

I wouldn't say I'm afraid of the water now. It just seems more like a hassle than an adventure. I think I'm getting old! I love to watch the boys in our pool or at the beach on the boogie boards. Even though I'm sitting there on my towel refusing to go in, I'm thinking how much fun it would be to not care....to get a boogie board and ride the waves in. I still remember that I love to swim:) And maybe this year I'll take a risk and do something I haven't for a long time....I'll let you know when summer comes:)

This reminds me of freedom though and how we are encouraged by Jesus to come to Him as little children. The delight I had in falling back into a pool (the Nestea splash) is now replaced by how I look in a bathing suit. The experience of floating weightlessly is overcome by the fact that the water feels too cold.

I think in many areas of my life, the Lord is calling me back to simple freedom. I worry about so many things that I need to leave with Him. I think I have to have answers that He already has for me. The beach or the side of the pool is a safe place to be. Everything stays in place besides maybe a bit of sand in your suit. You can dip your feet in the pool to get cooled off or walk along the sandy shore and make footprints in the sand. But.....

Wouldn't it be fun to just dive in again? Imagine it. You don't care what anyone thinks. You're not thinking about cellulite or flat hair....just fun and adventure!?
It's risky, for sure. Your feet can't feel the bottom, the current might move you a bit, you might suck back some salt water, but you are freely swimming and loving every minute of it.

I'm really trying to tell you to take a risk:) Whatever you're wavering over...your toes are just at the edge of the diving board and you're wondering if a belly flop will be the result of your jump. I think not. Take a leap, point those toes as you dive in and enjoy the swim. There is freedom in the deep end.