It was 18 years ago that I entered this venue for a Fleetwood Mac show. I was excited beyond words to see my favorite band perform my favorite music. The show was great, of course! And I still love the music. But this day, this moment is oh so different. You see I was, well let’s just say I saw the show from a different altitude than most did that day. At that point in my life it was still all about me and FUN, no matter the cost or compromise. What a difference a couple of decades makes!

This show, this time I arrive with eyes and heart wide open to not just be entertained, but to be engaged and overwhelmed by the presence of God. The excitement I feel is to worship, with a few thousand of my brothers and sisters in Christ, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The celebratory atmosphere needs no alcohol or drugs. This crowd of Jesus freaks is on fire for Him! There is no need for outside stimulation as the energy here is Holy Spirit induced and better than any temporary fix out there.

As I praise Him for saving me, I am in prayer for so many loved ones. I pray for a no holds barred fearless stepping out of the darkness into the light; for a revival and courageous acknowledgement of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. I pray for bold declaration to replace timid prayer. Run to Him! Praise Him! Celebrate Him!

Tune into Christian radio, like KLOVE.com. Music that is prayerful and gives glory to God is medicine for the soul.

I’m a Christian music loving Jesus freak who is so grateful for the grace that transformed this wretch into His daughter, His masterpiece, His workmanship! Believe that you and I are sinners, and the penalty for sin is death. Jesus came to earth to live among us, to be a living sacrifice to appease God and save us from our sins. He died for us, carried our sins to the grave, and rose again in glory. He did this for me! He did this for you! Believe it and live forever in his heavenly glory. Read the Bible. Go to church. Be transformed. You too can be free from the chains that bind you! 

Titus 3:5
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Camping is my favorite! As I sit alone under the morning sun, I am absorbing and appreciating God’s amazing nature. I am visited by chipmunks (one just nearly ran over my foot!) and little birds anxious to find a crumb or two from last evening’s meal. Despite the warnings, we have not yet seen a rattlesnake here, and I’m ok with that. I would love to get a photo of one, but they can stay hidden and I will be happy. Last evening as I walked the road around the camp, my phone lighting the way, I scanned the path for snakes. We were told they sometimes lay on the pavement at night for warmth.

I was thinking that the enemy is like that. He lays and waits for my guard to be down and then attacks my weakness. But for my light, Jesus, I would walk right into my own demise. But His light is most obvious in my darkness. I am safe. Psalm 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path.”

 I could see just two feet in front of me, yet I had enough light to move safely at a steady pace. God gives me just enough light for the next step in my life, too. Enough light to trust and move forward. Looking too far ahead can be careless, because I miss what is right before me. Slow and steady, trust and obey. I am assured a safe journey into eternity.

What could have been a terrifying 500 yard adventure to retrieve one of my kids from another campsite was quite uneventful. And so should my days be, free from anxiety, walking in the light.

Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12  

Work it out.This has been my mantra for the past few days. Lots of rainy weeks and inevitable summer boredom have helped to ignite many a fiery conflict here at the Moore house. Mom is of course in charge (at least I think I am!) but I’m finding that making all the decisions and putting out all the fires isn’t always the best approach. A little give and take experience is just what they need, and I am giving them lots of opportunities these days. It’s hard to stop myself from jumping in at every sign of a scuffle, but I am learning that, a) there is a pecking order and they need to establish that, b) someone is going to be happy and someone is going to be royally ticked off and, c) it’ll be ok.

I am also trying hard to let go of my need to solve all the world’s problems. I am struggling to give things to God, and it is causing me great anxiety, but why? It is most definitely a character flaw that I have had for as long as I can remember. I am a bit of a control freak, and as I get older, I just cannot keep up the pace. So I am asking God, “Would you work it out? Your plan is flawless, and you’re in charge anyway! Please free me from the desire to fix everyone and everything.”  And I know that a)there is a perfect order to His plan, b) some of us will be joyous and some will be royally disappointed and c) it’ll be ok.

So every day, I must ask myself, who is in control, me or God? And every day I must trust Him with all of it. Yes. ALL.OF.IT. Including the fall out and consequences. He has that, too.

 Romans 8:28 says just what I need to hear about this….

 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Talking with a friend recently about our adult children, I was left with lots of questions.  What do you say to your adult kids when they are doing things out of God’s will? Do you feel responsible for their lifestyle? Do you have guilt? Well, the answer is yes, of course I have guilt, and I do feel responsible. I’m the mom! I was guilty of living a watered down version of Christianity. It hurt my kids, and it hurt my life in many ways. I can’t go back and change that . The good news is I have made strides in becoming closer to God and really allowing the redemptive power of Jesus Christ to rule my life. Do I still backside occasionally? Of course I do. I am grateful for grace. I am brought back into right focus much more quickly than I used to be. When I take one step forward and two steps back, the back steps are much shorter than they used to be. Fortunately I am not losing ground.

 But when I was in my twenties and okay, even in my thirties, it was an entirely different scenario. I was in a battle. The good versus evil wrestling match occurring daily, I was mostly out of God’s will. By the grace of God, He brought me back to Him. It‘s been a long and sometimes ugly process of tug of war; my will versus His will for my life. This world says do what feels good, so most of us do. I have lost many battles, but know now that Jesus won the war for me! So while I acknowledge my shortcomings as a parent, I am on the other side of that battleground now, and know that there is victory in Jesus. I share that with them almost daily. I don’t focus on the “what could have been’s”, I take comfort in the “what can be’s.” I use my experiences, good and bad, to teach my kids. Of course I want them to learn from my mistakes and escape the painful consequences. But ultimately, they have free will. The important thing for them to know is that they are loved by a merciful God. I pray for the years in the battle to be short for all my kids, big and little, so peace may find them sooner than later. I pray for a change of heart for anyone who is resisting giving God control of their life, and for a true acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

One of my nicknames as a little girl was “Smiley” given to me by Mary, the lunch lady. She too always had a smile on her face. I still smile a lot, even through pain. Lately, though I’m feeling more like “Negative Nancy!” I’ve been overwhelmed by hostility from people and circumstances close to me. Picture me with both hands wielding shields, covering my face and body, deflecting projectiles of insults and criticism meant to injure faith, destroy truth and kill relationships. Under attack are ideals, morals and my belief system.  I’m weighted down and begin taking on bitterness in my attitudes and responses. The shields are heavy, and I am fatigued. As I struggle to stay standing under attack, I am reminded of Ephesians 6:10-18. Yes, one of the amazing things about learning the Word of God, and I don’t just mean memorizing verses, but becoming familiar with it, is that verses come to mind at just the right times. As I drove today, these words of scripture came to me and absolutely opened my eyes and my heart.  Ephesians 6:10-18  "10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,  "

 If I hold onto the two heavy shields, I am unable to hold onto the sword of the Spirit. I may put down a shield long enough to hurl a few arrows in retaliation, but instead I should be holding fast to the sword of the Spirit. It is my greatest defense. What an illustration of how God empowers us to persevere! I put on the full armor of God today, and Negative Nancy is taking a hike! Welcome back, Smiley  :)