Melony will help you through the housework or the work day from 10am – 2pm with Positive Hits and conversation that is Always Safe For The Little Ears!

Praying, Waiting, Hurting yet Hoping

Homes demolished….lives lost….in an instant hearts are broken and hope is challenged.

Out of the wreckage from the Moore, OK, tornado of May 20, 2013, is this powerful reminder:

“The most important things in life aren’t things”, but, oh, how easily those important things are taken for granted.  We take for granted another day, another moment, another breath.

It is so difficult to truly empathize with the journey the community of Moore now finds itself walking, shocked, through.  As one of my favorite bloggers posted today: “In the morning quiet, people I don’t know are picking through the rubble of their lives, and I am drinking coffee, and we are all holding still, waiting for answers. Waiting for The Answer to make himself known, clear like the sun, warm like love.”

And as we wait, we do what we are called to do as followers of Christ.  First, we are called to pray:

1 Timothy 2:1 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…”

Secondly, we are called to serve.  Matthew 25: 40 “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”

Maybe, as with me, serving does not come naturally to you. You know those who jump in without a thought, but for you there are a million reasons and schedule conflicts, as well as, financial obligations that quickly come to mind and slow your response.  Maybe you just become overwhelmed with knowing where or how to dig in.

Being in Haiti during the 2010 earthquake, I quickly learned and saw a lot of what truly helps and what hinders.  Often we try to reach out with the correct motives in mind, but instead hinder the true efforts of those trained.  To truly learn how best to serve, Relevant Magazine posted a clear, quick read on how and where to get started.  So maybe clicking this link is your first step in reaching out:

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/reject-apathy/creation-care/5-ways-get-involved-disaster-relief

When you’re ready to dive in and help, there are several LOCAL options:

This Saturday, May 25, US Hunger will be packing meals and taking donations for Oklahoma.  $10 will provide 40 meals, $50 will provide 200 meals and $100 will provide 400 meals!  To donate or help pack, join them from 10:00 am-11:30 am at:

Feeding Children Everywhere Headquarters, 830 South Ronald Reagan Blvd., Unit 142, Longwood, Fl 32750.  To learn more go to:

http://www.ushunger.com

Northland Chuch also has a trained and certified team on the ground in Moore, OK, you can follow them here:

https://www.facebook.com/northlandchurch

You can also help them through this link:

http://www.northlandchurch.net/disasterrelief/

Northland will also train and certify individuals for any possible future crisis outreach.  To learn more about how you could be one of those trained to serve in the future go to:

http://www.northlandchurch.net/ministry/disaster_response/?disaster/

In addition, this is from another Christian radio station in the OK area and the immediate needs they have:

http://www.thehousefm.com/page/DisplayPage2.aspx?ID=54

As we wait for  The Answer, just maybe He’s hoping to show up through you today.

So God Made A Mother by Ann Voskampe

Because God needed someone to love the least and the little into real whole people, and He knew that to love is to suffer…

So God Made A Mother.

God had said I need someone to get up at midnight and scoop the most fragile of humanity close to her warmth and rock though she can hardly stand and nourish though she’s mostly sleep-starved and change the diaper and the sheets and the leaked on, leaked through, and leaked down clothes though she’ll have to change them in the morning and next week and that won’t change for years.

So God Made A Mother.

That God had said I need somebody with a strong heart.

Strong enough for toddler tantrums and teenage testing, yet broken enough to fall on her knees and pray, pray, pray.

Someone who knows that in every hard place is exactly where you extend grace, who looks a hopeful child in the eye and says yes, even though, she knows behind most yeses waits a mess.

So God Made A Mother.

God said I need somebody who can shape a soul and find shoes on Sunday mornings and get grass stains out of Levis.

And make dinner out of nothing and do it again 79, 678 more times, and keep kids off the road and out of the toilet and in clean underwear and mainly alive though she’s mainly losing her mind and will put in an 80 hour week by Wednesday night and still do one more load of laundry.

And one more sink of crusted burnt pots.

And keep on going another eighty hours because raising generations matters and weaving families matters and tying heart strings matters and these people here in hidden places matter.

So God Made A Mother.

It had to be somebody who could comb back pigtails and tie up skates just-right tight.

Who could pretend she remembered algebra and how to get home from here and that she really is just fine, it must be the onions making her cry.

Somebody who would run for the catch, jump on a trampoline and play one fierce game of soccer. Somebody who’d stay up late with a science project that never ends, who’d get up early for the game in the rain, somebody who’d wave at the door until the taillights were out of sight and still be smiling brave.

So God Made A Mother.

It had to be somebody willing to keep loving when it made no sense because that’s what love does.

Somebody who knew that life is not an emergency but a gift, so just. slow. down.  There are children at play here and we don’t want anyone to get hurt and the hurry makes us hurt.

Somebody willing to feed and lead, lay down her life and pick up her cross, give of her time because they have her heart. Someone who knows that we all blow it — and what matters is what we then do after.

Someone who would live like a Giving Tree — who would give grace, give life, and give thanks —  Someone who would live it a thousand times:Someone who would pour out and bend down and surrender not only to the physical pain of childbirth but the far deeper, unending heart pain of letting go, letting go, letting go –  from the womb, from the arms, from the front door. Someone who would know that umbilical cords can be cut — but heart strings never can.

So God Made A Mother

Let’s share life deeper. Join me on Facebook

There is so much that happens in life that 4 hours together can hardly scratch the surface.  So it’s time to share our lives more deeply:  our marriages, our parenting successes and failures, our up and down journeys of trying to live like Jesus while still wearing a fleshly, earthsuit and finding joy in each God given breath.  Here’s how to hook up with me:

https://www.facebook.com/Z88.3Middays

When Valentine’s Day (Love) Disappoints

I have been married nearly 12 years, mostly happily However, I DO remember many heartbreaking Valentine’s Days.  I remember the days I wanted to stay in bed and boycott it all together.  Today my mind thinks of the many I know who have lost a loved one through rejection, abandonment, betrayal or even death.  

If you have ever been hurt, disappointed or abandoned by love, today may be a reminder of a scar you’d rather not notice. 

I was reminded of the song that compares love to a roller coaster today when I read this:

  She picks a flower from the ground,
  begins the same old game.

  Plucks a petal, thinks of her best lover:
  He loves me.

  Next petal plucked, and a question occurs:
  He loves me not?

Third petal now and she holds it like hope:
He loves me.

But there’s reason to doubt ’cause she sees her own heart:
He loves me not.

She tries to remember the things that she knows:
He loves me.

It’s no longer a game and she fears:
He loves me not.

His words she’s heard, they promise her good:
He loves me.

But the truth that she sees is she can’t measure up:
He loves me not.

The petals are spent and so is her heart;
she drops the bare stem to the dirt.

But growing beside it,
A perfect new flower.

She plucks a petal, thinks of her best lover:
He loves me.

Love and romance are not all Disney and our hopes and expectations make them out to be.  Like sin, romance is fun for a time, but then you discover the cost of love-of being imperfect and loving another imperfect someone.  Our messes mix and we crash into each others’ baggage.  Sometimes vulnerability is met with gentleness, often it is rejected or devalued.  Over time it all takes its toll.  But we press on, with fear we keep trying.  Because deep within ALL of us is the overwhelming NEED to be loved, cherished, celebrated, adored, thought of as beautiful exactly the way we are, UNconditionally….messes, baggage and all.   Truth is this need is impossible for any imperfect, also needy human, to be able to fulfill.  But we place the burdon on them anyway.  Then, sadly, love disappoints.

BUT Love does not.  Today remember that GOD IS LOVE.  It’s not just what He does….it’s WHO HE IS!

Regardless of your romantic status, I want you to fully know and comprehend that you ARE LOVED, CHERISHED, CELEBRATED, ADORED AND BEAUTIFUL to The One who created you, the ONLY One who knows your EVERY thought, action, fear, success and failure and STILL He DELIGHTS in YOU.  You don’t have to change a thing for Him to lavish His Love on you, He just DOES. Let Him be your forever Valentine and His Love will NEVER fail you. 

The Bible is God’s Love letter to you and here’s just a sample of the unbreakable Valentine PROMISES for YOU: 

Psalm 139:17 -18
“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.” (NIV)

Zephaniah 3:17
“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (NIV)

Psalm 136:26 “Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.” (NIV)

1 John 4:9-10 “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (NIV)

1 John 3:1
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (NIV)

1 John 4:16
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”(NIV)

Psalm 52:8b “I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.” (NIV)

Haiti-Forgotten?

January 12 each year is a deeply reflective and often bitter sweet day for me.  This year it marks the 3rd Anniversary since the devasting earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands in the country of Haiti and left many of the northern hemisphere’s poorest families decimated.

It’s been over 1,000 days and my heart breaks for a country still in rubble, millions still living in camps, hungry and forgotten by most of the rest of the world.  BUT there is joy when I hear of those who continue to join the work of rebuilding Haiti and loving the amazing Haitian people:  mothers, fathers, children, families-just like yours and mine with dreams and hopes for a better tomorrow.   I have heard from many who have compassion for Haiti’s need, but who have admitted to not doing anything because they have heard too many news reports of resourses not making it to those who need them.  Well, today, I want to share with you an amazing organization AND individual both of whom are making a huge impact in Haiti.

The organization I was with when the earthquake hit, New Missions, continues to work to rebuild and give hope to Haiti.  This last weekend they celebrated their 30th Anniversary of serving Haiti.  What started as a single family following God’s call and pitching tents, has grown to serving over 10,000 children daily.  Providing their only hot meal, an education and hope through Christ.  They have built 30 schools and churches, a hospital, high school and trade school.  Today, many of the children who have grown up attending New Mission’s schools are now serving and building a stronger Haiti from within.  To learn about New Missions and how you can have an impact on Haiti through them, go to www.NewMissions.org

Then there is an extrodinary individual stepping up to do what he can to rebuild Haiti.  His name is Barry McDonald.  He’s a 35 year old Australian who knows the bitter pain of losing a child and out of that pain an idea to help other parents was birthed.  Barry is running for Haiti, but he’s not just tackling a half or full marathon.  Barry is running the entire length of Haiti coast to coast during January.  An incredible 315 miles total….and he’s doing it in just 12 days!!!!  That’s an average of 26 miles per day!  You can follow him, learn more about his journey, pray for him and support him here www.runforlifehaiti.org

For her birthday, my daughter asked for bowls and spoons instead of gifts to give to children in Haiti who ate their school lunches with their hands off of their backpacks.  There are ophans who need care, children who need shoes, so many simple ways to change a life in Haiti.  In fact, the need is so far beyond the average American’s imagination that there really is no wrong way to reach out and help, except to simply ignore or forget the need of millions a short 3 hour plane ride from Central Florida.  Find what ignites your heart to do for Haiti and just dive in.

Twas Christmastime

What a great reminder from MomLife Today!

TWAS CHRISTMASTIME

Twas the month of Christmas and all through the city

People were crazy and not acting pretty.

The traffic was clogged, the stores were all packed.

The lines were so long and my list was quite stacked.

Exploding … to be exact.

My mind was all fuzzy, my feet really ached.

But forward I marched with a smile that was faked.

When all of a sudden to my pleasant surprise,

Something happened that really opened my eyes.

A sweet little child, a daughter of mine

Asked quite simply, “Is this Christmastime?”

And I thought to myself, “It’s time for some love.

Sharing about Jesus and peace from above.”

I looked at the people all scurrying around

And wondered if maybe I could share something profound.

Not that I wanted to stand on a stage,

Or even write something down on a page.

I think that the best way to share Christmas’ glory

Is smile at another and share a sweet story.

It’s forgiving the rude driver who cuts me off.

It’s sweetly responding without a small scoff.

It’s opening my home with decorations perfect or not.

It’s baking a cookie and filling a tea pot.

Giving thanks for the blessed table laid with a feast.

It’s loving the unlovely, and blessing the least.

It’s seeking my Savior each minute each day.

It’s knowing He hears every prayer that I pray.

It’s trusting His promise. It’s being His child.

It’s seeing that Christmas doesn’t have to be wild.

It’s Christmas with Jesus. Christmas with joy.

It’s Christmas with something more than a toy.

So let Christmas be filled with more than a trip to the store.

Let Christmas be filled with Jesus … we need nothing more.

What 6 Looks Like

Yes, Sandy Hook has broken my heart.  My prayers continue for so many moms and dads of 6 year olds-of 1st graders.  My son is 6.  He is a first grader, and as he grows and celebrates birthdays and acheivements like getting his driver’s license, first loves and graduation, I will each time remember to pray for those parents who will miss those moments because I know 6.  If you find yourself unfamiliar with 6 this is a must read:

We know what 6 smells like. How it can go from the fresh scent of shampoo and soap to the musky aroma of “dirty child” in what seems like minutes. How it resists getting in the bathtub… and then resists getting out half an hour later. How sweet its hair and skin and clean jammies smell when it sits on your lap and asks you to read it a bedtime story.

We know what 6 sounds like. How it cries and whines. How it sings and laughs. How clever it is and how much more clever it grows every day. How it sounds out words on signs as we drive past in the car and how happy it is when it gets them right. How annoying it sounds when it teases its sister and how kind it sounds when it soothes her when she falls down and hurts herself. We know how lovely the words “Mommy” and “Daddy” and “I Love You” sound in its six-year-old voice.

We know how 6 tastes. How picky it is. How it thinks chicken nuggets or macaroni and cheese are gourmet foods. How much it loves candy and cookies. How it tolerates broccoli and carrots. How it absolutely abhors Brussels sprouts. How it thinks French fries are a vegetable. How it thinks chocolate milk was created by God himself. How it thinks pizza is its own food group. We know that six is happy when it finds “I love you!” written on a napkin in its lunch box at school.

We know how 6 feels. How big it’s getting. How fast it outgrows its clothes and how it’s no longer a baby, but not quite a big kid. We know the weight of six in our arms. How we can barely carry it anymore, but try anyway because we can’t quite bring ourselves to accept the truth. We know how easily six gets its feelings hurt if someone says just the wrong thing or if this friend or that one doesn’t want to play with it or it gets in trouble at school. We know the velvety softness of six’s skin. We know the still-silkiness of its hair.

We know what six looks like. We know six’s gap-toothed smile and its gangly arms and legs. We see how it jumps and dances. How it twirls and runs. We know how funny six is. How absolutely charming it can be. We know six’s terrible jokes. We know how obsessed it is with video games.” We know its crooked “S” and its backwards “3.” We see how it teeters on the cusp of the world of books and all the joys of reading, but how it’s not quite ready to fall in yet. We see how six can’t decide if it wants us to stand beside it or not. We watch it take two steps towards independence and one step back towards us every day. We know how sturdy and strong six is… and yet how frail and fragile.  How beautiful it is. How precious. How brightly it shines with promise. How much it looks towards the future… toward 7,8,9… How much it looks like forever.

Yes, we know what six looks like. And we know that, to us — like it must be for the moms and dads in Connecticut — six is the whole world.

Making happily ever after WORK…A Weekend to Remember with a DISCOUNT

It doesn’t take long after the ceremony to realize that marriage is work….HARD work!  Taking two imperfect, fallen, sinful individuals and making them one, truly takes the hand of God.   I recently read a book that has been transforming my ideas, expectations and approach to marriage.  The author of Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas, proposed the idea that the purpose of marriage may not be to make us happy, but to develope in us holiness.  To grow in us the abilities to be sacrificial, graceful, merciful and forgiving.

No matter the state of your matrimony-blissful, stressful, isolated, betrayed, broken-today is the day to commit to working on it.  The definition of erosion is “the gradual destruction or diminution of something.”  One year, twenty years or fifty years, it doesn’t matter, if you are not working on your marriage, erosion IS taking place. 

If you don’t know where to start or need some new ideas, Z88.3 invites you to benefit from the result of more than three decades of biblical research into what it takes to have a successful marriage and family.  We invite you to a Family Life Weekend to Remember.  We know marriages and families are under attack, but we have seen God take the worst of marriages and heal them.  We are commiting to help you hold yours together by GIVING YOU A REGISTRATION DISCOUNT.  Just use the promo code “Weekend“.  This allows you to receive the discount rate of $99.50 per person instead of the regular rate of $159 per person. You can find out more or register at the A Weekend to Remember website or by calling 1-800-FL-Today, up until one day prior to the event weekend.

 For a list of events and locations or to purchase tickets, please visit the Family Life website.