For my crazy, hectic, stressed, overloaded friends, I decided a few green lights and front door parking spots might just be a blessing in the moment for them to catch their breath. Later that day I got to share time with a dear friend and encourage her. We ended up laughing at some of the humor hidden in life’s difficult moments. That same day, some laundry got done, my family had a home cooked meal, and I had some quiet moments alone with my cute husband. As I was locking up the house that night before bed, I walked by the colorful calendar that tracks where everybody is supposed to be each day. My day looked super busy and I stopped to think about why it hadn’t felt that busy. I retraced the day, going all the way back to early morning. There was one key moment that set the tone for the day. It was my quiet time in the Bible and in conversation with Jesus. It had been an extended time that I really enjoyed. I looked up and realized that time had gotten away and it didn’t matter.

That morning I had prayed for simple pleasures of the day. I had asked for Jesus to help me balance my day with all the things that are important and that I love. I had prayed to see where I could make a difference in someone’s life and I even prayed to enjoy the day with laughter. At the end of the day I stumbled upon a verse I absolutely LOVE LOVE. I was disappointed that I hadn’t pulled it out before and plastered it on cards, post it notes, my dashboard and on my forehead. It is permission to lighten our load.

Psalm 39:6 (NLT) says, “We are merely moving shadows and all our busy rushing ends in nothing”. That was so cool for this scheduled-to-the-max wife and mother. You would think I would have learned by now that if I didn’t rush through my quiet time, I would find more treasures in the Word, cruise through more green lights, get front door treatment and be reminded more often how God can relate to the little things you and I deal with.

As I sit at my kitchen table this morning with five empty chair around me, I have been praying for my family members who typically sit in each one. I smile at the thought of frowns over my menu selection, fingers twisting through long hair, ketchup squirting, laughter and even some of my favorite family conversations. Then I open my Bible to see what God wants to share with me for the day.

Psalm 23:5 and 6 paints a sweet picture. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”. I have read it before, but sitting at my table sure gives me a different perspective. God is preparing a table for me in the presence of my enemies. I pictured this amazing table like some I have seen on HGTV. Candles are lit and every attention to detail is obvious. There are mouth watering dishes with tons of color that catch my eye and the steam that flows from each tickles my nose. In ancient Near Eastern culture, at a banquet the hosts were expected to protect their guest at all cost. I chuckle at the thought of how this mom (the Barron host at dinner time) protects her sweet guest at the table by feeding them healthy, making them use their manners and leaving their cell phones somewhere else. This is our time as parents, to have conversations and discussions about things that protect our kids from the enemies out in the world.

God offers the same protection of a host when enemies surround us. God, the perfect Host, promises to guide us and protect us. The final scene of this Psalm reminds us that when we follow, He will escort us to dwell with Him forever in His house. Along the way, He lets us have these amazing friends that follow us….Goodness and Mercy. I love the picture of everywhere we go as believers, we get to take these friends with us. I feel at ease as I watch my kids leave for school knowing that their friends, Goodness and Mercy are following them.

My page journey in the Word then takes me over to Proverbs 3:3. “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”  My wacky creative brain is putting together one of these Lisa images. I am still sitting here at my table and suddenly visualize God getting me all dressed up for this “prepared table”. My necklace of love and faithfulness has a lot of “bling” for my pj’s this morning, but I proudly choose to wear it today.

Looking ahead into this Monday, I am going to dress up to match my necklace of love and faithfulness and take my friends, Goodness and Mercy out on the town for the day. My prayer is that people around me will notice how God can make any of us look pretty spiffy. Pull up a chair today and sit at the table He has prepared for you. It is a table for three! Goodness and Mercy want to hang out with you.

There is this dividing line I keep moving around in my thoughts. How much do I prepare my kids for the craziness and how much do I just rely on trusting and walking in faith. Clearly as a Christ follower, we aren’t supposed to live in fear, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t supposed to be prepared.

The minute the doctor let me hold my girls when they were born, I felt this instant desire to protect them and shelter them. That is a parent’s instinct. When I sent them to school the first time, I heard my heart beat fast all day long until they returned. I have experienced those same feelings over and over again in new situations that come up. The first sport that was played, the first set of stitches or the first boy Morgan dated, gripped my heart just like the very first time I held them. I call it the Momma Bear Syndrome. We are wired to care for our young and show our claws when the world comes racing at them.

While preparing for the unknown future, I go back to the source of comfort, wisdom and guidance. I simply pick up my Bible and dig for words that show me where to settle that dividing line. Proverbs 22:6 is a verse parents are familiar with. “Train up a child in the way he shall go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” I have seen this to be true in my life and the life of my kids. My parents had me in church at a young age. I watched them serve, teach and support the ministries of our church. Ridley and I have done the same before we met each other and we continue to do so. Just as I am sure my parents wondered about some of my choices, Ridley and I have wondered the same with our own kids at times.

That day in a small plane when I faced the reality of death, my thoughts went immediately to my church upbringing. Everything my parents had exposed me to growing up came back to mind as I wrestled with my own adult life. Now, as a parent, I often find myself asking about my own kids. “Lord, is it in there? Are the things I have taught them sticking?” There are moments when I watch our kids and see that in some of their most difficult seasons, it is in there. As one visits her dad with a nervous stomach, she knows she is safe in the palm of God’s hand when we can’t go with her. As we pass the cemetery, my son and daughter know that their mom is dancing in Heaven on streets of gold. As my daughter faces insecurities from her past, she can know that God’s mercies are new each morning and He loves her. As a child is made fun of at school for being bold in standing up for what is right, she can stand firm knowing she is fearfully and wonderfully made.

Ridley and I both know that life has knocked us down to some really low points where we couldn’t fully protect our kids. There was no prep work that could have been done to make them ready for what they were going to walk through. So we will continue to have our family meetings where we go over our “what to do if….” discussions. We will review fire escape routes, stranger danger tactics, emergency safe places, disaster meeting places and ways to communicate when technology fails. However, most importantly we will continue to open God’s Word and show them where the greatest source of truth and strength can come from. We will give them the security of knowing that we don’t have all the answers and we can’t go with them everywhere, but there is a God who can and does.

As we welcome another Mother’s Day, the absolute best thing you could do for your kids would be to wake up tomorrow morning, take your kids to church, and help them to know our Jesus who promises to never leave them or forsake them. (Hebrews 13:5)

Last weekend I met some new, amazing women. One lady, whose name was Amy, was sharing a little bit about her story and her family. We chatted about the challenges of being a mom and all the other roles we have as women. It was a women’s retreat, so of course we talked about being women. During one of the sessions I was leading, I told one of my stories about raising Morgan and Landon. I talked about how if the girls were in a grumpy mood when they got home from school, I would make them go back outside and shake the devil off their back. I told them they were letting satan piggyback and I used the verse in Genesis 4:7 as backup. It says, “But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 

So, on Thursday, I received an email from Amy with a story to share about her son, Tayton. I immediately emailed her back and asked for permission to share on my blog. It is TOO GOOD to not share. Here is the story:

“On Monday, while waiting in line to drop my 7 year old Tayton off at school, I noticed he was in a very grumpy mood.  It never fails that when he has a bad morning…he usually has a tough day at school too.  I tried unsuccessfully to cheer him up.  Then I remembered something you said you do with your girls!  I told him that he had the enemy on his back, and he better get him off, or he would try to ruin his day. He said, “who is the enemy?”  “Satan,” I said.  “How do I get him off?” he asked.  I told him to shake him off his back.  He said, “I can’t shake him off in my seat; can I rub my back on the back of the seat to get him off?”  I said, “yes” with a smile.  I watched as he giggled rubbing his back on the seat of the truck.  I then told him, “now if you start to get in a bad mood or anything at school you will have to shake him off so he doesn’t try to ruin your day!”  Tayton said, “I will mommy! I will find a tree at recess and rub my back on it to get him off!!”  He got out of the truck to start his day with a smile

When talking to young ladies and younger girls, I find myself speaking with a hurried passion. I am not sure if it spills out of my mouth in that way, but I am so anxious and desperate to share things that equip our young ladies today. The mid forties have opened my eyes even more and as a mom of three girls, I pray they listen to my lessons from experience. I think back to so many women that were older than me who kept me focused, challenged me, and loved me along the ways of my failures. It is my turn to give back to the younger generation.

What would I want younger women to grasp early? This list would be the most important (according to Lisa Barron).

1. Your value is not found in who likes you or how popular you are. Your confidence needs to come from Jesus Christ.

2. Read the Bible and make that your source of truth. I am amazed at how many times my kids read something on the internet and believe it to be fact. Stay right side up by knowing what God’s Word says. He made the world. He knows how you need to live in it.

3. You do not need a guy to be somebody or to be complete. Everywhere we turn, the world screams that you have to have a man to complete you. You will stand before the Lord one day all by yourself. Psalm 146:3 “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.”

4. Make a list of what is super important to you when looking for a guy and DO NOT compromise on one thing until you meet him. Pray in the meantime.

5. Take better care of your health while you are young. Our bodies and our skin can be our focus when we are young. However, I would trade some of the earlier years to have time to work on maintaining my health along the way instead of trying to catch up now.

6. I would focus less on myself. When we are young, we are motivated to think about who we want to be and what we want to become. Goals and a vision are good, but I find that in the earlier years they often make you way too inward focused. Volunteer, serve others, and look for the opportunities to bless other people. Those are the memories I remember the most.

7. Time is still the greatest gift you can give. Nothing made me feel more special than when someone gave me their undivided time. That is still the case today. I find with the busyness of today and the mix of technology, we make less and less time for face to face relationships. It is hard to find time for that so we may need to cut something else out.

8. Journal. I am big on journaling. I have forgotten so many things as the years have gone on. Some I have prayed to forget. I have recently been writing a book and I would give anything if I had a record of some moments. It is not the record of the events themselves I wish I had, but the way I viewed things and how they made me feel. I have been writing in my journal for the last nine years and those words on paper have revealed so much about me and what God was doing in my life.

9. I would take risk. Understand me here…..I am not talking ridiculous risks. I am referring to what you would do if money wasn’t an object. Maybe it is a dream that you have labeled under “One day”. Go ahead and do it!

10. Do not try to be a people pleaser. There is no way possible to please all the people in your life. You will go crazy and be unsuccessful. This is where my relationship with Jesus has been so freeing. As long as I am doing what He wants, I can rest in knowing it is enough.

11. Laugh! Even in the difficult moments, find ways to laugh. The Bible says in Proverbs 14:13 “Even in laughter the heart may ache.” Some of my best feeling laughs were right in the middle of some of the deepest pain.

12. Family is important. When we are young we think our family doesn’t understand us or just wants to control us. That is actually LOVE. Do everything you can to maintain peace in your family. Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

13. Set boundaries in your life. You can be loving towards people without having to be their best friend. People do not automatically have permission to invade your life in unhealthy ways just because they want to. Communicate your boundaries so that others are clear and do everything you can to maintain them.

14. Some people in your life may be there for a season and that is okay. People come in and out of your life. A person who is no longer a big part of your life, doesn’t necessarily indicate the relationship was bad. It may be that person was simply in your life for a season.

15. Choose what is right, not always easy. Some decisions may seem easier at the time, but may have consequences later that end up more difficult than making the right decision in the first place.

16. When life gets hard, don’t hide. Isolation will weaken you and people can strengthen you. Bust your bubble and get out of it.

17. Failure is just fine. Mistakes are made by everyone. It seems easier for others to notice yours instead of their own. Face yours, learn from them and take the opportunity to set the example even in the midst of a big mess up.

18. Have manners. Ladies need to act like ladies. Chew with your mouth closed, stand up straight, do not have potty mouth, dress appropriately and sit like a lady. I don’t care what generation it is, those things are still classy and attractive.

19. Junk in will mean junk out. I used to think that I could do a good job of filtering the things that went into my brain and my heart. Be careful what you watch, what you listen to, and what you subject yourself to. This is key to protecting your thoughts and guarding your heart.

20. Stay pure until your are married. This may sound old fashion but I PROMISE you will be so glad that you did. Every little piece of yourself you give away is one less for your husband one day.

21. Look at your life as a story. Let God write it. It turns out better than you could ever write it yourself. Be sure you keep the perspective that you are not the main character in the story.

Feel free to add your own thoughts….these are simply my own suggestions!

On my right was a mother of 5 kids (4 were adopted) and a previous missionary in Wales. I looked to my left and there sat Shane. Shane was a former soldier who was twenty six years old. I instantly knew he was a fighter. He wasn’t dressed in camo. He was missing both legs. I smiled at him and decided not to pretend that I didn’t notice. I asked him what happened. I find myself meeting people all across the country and often find them sharing their stories with me after only a few moments. Therefore, I skip the chitty chat and get right to the heart of knowing someone. I wanted to know Shane’s story. When he was twenty years old, he was fighting for our country in Iraq. He stepped on a mine and lost both legs. He showed me his massive ring which was a trophy of serving to him. It looked like a Super Bowl ring, but paled in comparison to his personal sacrifice. I could tell he was proud. He had on shorts. I couldn’t see any part of his legs but I saw a whole lot of his heart.

He began to share random stories as if he was sharing flashbacks. I could tell some were his favorite memories and some were painful. As he relived some of the painful ones, I noticed his eyes would squint more. He still sported the typical crew cut and spoke with passion as if he didn’t care who heard some of his details. I tuned everything else out and listened intently so my brain could retain his incredible story.  He was open and honest which made my bold questions easier. I asked him if he hurt. He explained that he didn’t have shooting pain but he experienced phantom pains at times as if his whole leg was there. He went on to explain that he had to be revived after bleeding out and that he suffered a lack of oxygen to the brain. Therefore, he can’t read and write very well. I complimented him on his clear speech. He said he had been working hard and then he introduced me to his travel companion. He acted as if they were buddies, but informed me that he has someone appointed to him to travel so he can read airport and street signs. He still doesn’t have a driver’s license. He joked a bit about that and shared that he had some weight to lose before he could get his prosthetics. He admitted that part had been hard. He said his army crawl had been helpful and that was why he had jacked arms. He quickly grinned as if he was embarrassed that he had even said that.

I told him I was proud that he wasn’t sitting at home and feeling sorry for himself. He shared all these cool adventures he had been on in the last six years. He talked about his two chihuahuas that love to ride on the side of his wheelchair. I asked him if he was angry after what he had experienced. He said what angered him the most was the soldiers that come home injured and give up. I asked if it was frustrating for him to watch the news knowing the reality of war. He told me he can’t watch the news. He quickly indicated that he doesn’t like the “government” and he is so burdened for our country and the economy. He doesn’t want kids to suffer and people to lose their homes. Compassion for others was oozing out of his words. When I asked him if he would do it all again, he immediately said, “Oh yeah”. “I am a soldier” that is what I went to do. I asked him if he was ever afraid and he said, “No”. I waited to see if he would change his mind. He must have guessed that was what I was doing because he repeated, “No. Not at all”.

I then jumped right to the loaded question. How do you feel about Jesus? He rushed to pull a necklace from under his t-shirt. It was s huge silver cross. He said he tried to go to Heaven but God must not have wanted him yet. He chuckled. He quickly mentioned his desire to add St. Jude’s hospital on his travel agenda to cheer kids up. He went back to talking about his anger and how he has to deal with it often. He looked at me and said, “I don’t wake up and just forget I don’t have legs”. I told him I hope he felt appreciated for his service. I also told him I was super proud that he was using his story to encourage others and that I believe God does that to keep us on track and to minister to others. He refuses pain medication because he doesn’t like it and was quick to joke that he is an Aleve addict.

Before we had to get off the plane, I made sure I told him I would be praying for him. The flight attendant informed him that his wheelchair was coming and he told her he wasn’t going anywhere. I asked him what people need to know about people without their limbs and he said, “Don’t act like you don’t see it. Just treat us like people just like you have, Lisa”. As I stood, He shook my hand and I humbly walked away grateful for a crowded flight that allowed me to hear from a real hero.

The battle in my head began almost as if I had a sheet of paper in my brain that was divided right down the middle. Pros were on one side and cons were on the other. It was a tug of war between my wife heart, my momma heart and my ministry heart. The columns ended up even and I couldn’t decide what to do. So, I did what ever woman over forty would do. I cried and analyzed. I was sure (in my rational state) that was an indication my calling was over and I needed to get a job. Yes, a job would be better. Structure was missing. That had to be what was missing. Walking by faith was too sporadic. Maybe I was cut out for set hours and set paychecks. After all, I had been a full time working, single mom before and things seemed more structured back then. That must be it. I am not cut out for this!

I knew I had to make a decision and then the electricity began to flicker on and off. Quickly, I looked at Ridley and said, “just go without me”. I began to unpack with more effort than a pair of pants and shirt really required. I was mad that I had to choose. If God was going to provide the opportunity, shouldn’t He provide the answer?

Then came the email from one of our Board members. He faithfully encourages us every week with words of wisdom and details of how he and his wife are praying for us. This Monday was one that I didn’t really want to read, but I did it anyway so I could say that I did. Midway through his email this is what he said, “may your attitudes and your application be filtered through the cross this week”. I stopped almost embarrassed. Filtered through the cross. In that moment I pushed myself to filter. It wasn’t pretty. I had to face the fact that as I have been through one transition after another, I have been living to simply get through the transition. Being self employed for years had trained my brain to get it done and mark it off. Now that I am in ministry, there are no set guidelines and the “mark it off” isn’t as easy. I circled back around to “maybe I am not cut out for this”. In a quiet moment as I continued to filter, I surrendered to the obvious. I am not cut out for this and that is when Jesus does His best work. I remembered all the prayers I had been praying for my life to be less of me and to make Him more famous.

That same day a dear friend reminded me that I needed to enjoy the transitions and get the most out of them. I decided transitions represent moving. God is always moving, working through His plan, and teaching me. That should be a good thing! My disappointment for the day paled in comparison to what He has already blessed me with.

If you are feeling like you aren’t cut out for something, then you probably aren’t. However, if you are trusting Him with the plan for your life, He made you to fit that plan. In our weakest moments, we are in a good place. God can do His work with less hinderance. In those moments, we offer a beautiful stage for His glory.

She wasn’t using it as an excuse. She was trying to be mature and responsible with her own life. What struck me as she continued to share, was that even though I have known her for a short time and know a little bit of her story, I had never looked at her and labeled her “from a broken home”. I am proud of this Godly, young woman and our conversation rattled around in my head for days later.

Broken home is defined as a home where parents are divorced or separated. I felt the definition was too short when I looked it up. That’s it? I can share story after story of homes I would label “broken” where both parents are living together. I recall a time in my own life where my family would have been described as complete, but it was complete-ly broken. Hearts were broken. Self esteem was broken. Trust was broken. Dreams were broken. Yet there were mommy clothes and daddy clothes hanging in the closet.

There is a fine line between not allowing ourselves to live as a victim and not allowing ourselves to live with a label of defeat. Sadly, the world is full of broken homes. Yes, the divorce rate is too high. However, there are other situations in our homes that are just as damaging to people. God knew there were going to be broken homes. He is very clear in the Bible to tell us to care for widows and orphans (James 1:27). Those cases are clearly not a result of divorce.

I am always very clear to state that I DO NOT promote divorce. HEAR THIS: God hates divorce; NOT divorced people. I firmly believe the healthy environment is for a child to have their mom and dad together. However, I will be honest to share that I have often wondered if the broken home with both parents under one roof, was more difficult for my girls or the broken home with mom and dad living apart and divorced. There are consequences either way and both are so extremely hard and leave wounds.

The broken home I desire to hear about is the broken home where a mom and a dad are so broken that they put away pride, selfishness, stress and egos to allow Jesus to revive the heart of their family. I pray they are overwhelmed with their own spiritual needs. I pray they surrender control and are self denying. I pray they give up the right to be right.

The greatest healing for any heart or home broken, is for peace to invade hearts so that peace can overflow to others. James 3:17-18 from The Message translation needs to go on all of our refrigerators. “Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.”

*To my single parent friends….get out from under the label and you let Jesus be the first priority in complete healing and leading of  your family.

May all of our homes be broken for the right reasons!

Funny how I have thought about Stretch over the last couple of weeks. The memories have actually made me laugh during some moments where I have been stretched really thin. It seems the older I get and the older my kids get, the less day there is to get things done or to go to all the places I need to go. My prayer is to stay physically capable to run the race that God has for me. All of us get pulled thin with the demands of our day. A dad feels the tug as he tries to balance providing for his family and being at the ball field. A working mom feels it as she tries to keep the house up and contribute to the bills being paid. A student feels it as their future is shoved in their face every day with the demand of a plan, education and the world’s desire for status. A single person feels it as they juggle the weight of the world alone while searching for someone to share it with. Some days can feel like we all are stretched thin and about to ooze.

I find myself often questioning the purpose of being so stretched. I feel so ineffective and  an emotional basket case at times. It is in those moments that I act similar to Moses in the book of Numbers from the Bible (Chapter 11). He has seen God do miraculous things and yet he doubts God’s ability to feed the wandering Israelites. If Moses doubted, imagine how much easier it is for us to do the same. When we begin to rely on our own understanding, we are in danger of ignoring God’s power and purpose for the situation. God cares more about our heart than our circumstances. He doesn’t want me (or you) to be stretched to a point where we worry, doubt, dread or fear. He wants us to press into Him more in those times. We are to remember His past works in our lives and to pull from His present power.

There is an enemy (a Stretch Monster so to speak) that wants us to be stretched to a point where we turn away from the very source of ultimate relief. His greatest desire is for us to lose our focus and to doubt God’s power, purpose and love for us. However, our weak moments are the perfect stage for God’s greatest work. Will we let Him?

It is interesting that in Moses’ doubting conversation with God, God replies, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” To rest in the arms of the Lord is where we find ourselves the strongest as we allow Him to work through us in the moments we are stretched.

Then every day life invades my thoughts. I have a husband, kids, extended family, and a ministry that is handled by a small team and a whole lot of Jesus. Those needs at every corner are still there. I struggle with the balance of taking care of my life while making a difference in other people’s lives. They matter to me….all of them. Every day Ridley and I pray and dream about our area of influence. I pray to dream BIG. Shortly after that prayer, I pray to be able to get to all of it. I know God is capable if I am willing.

Yesterday, I sat at church and I was delighted the focus was orphan care. That is a passion of the Barron Bunch. We sponsor Compassion International children. We sponsor kids at an orphanage in Honduras where our family served last summer and we support domestic and international adoptions of people we know. As I sat and watched the screen of faces, I saw eyes, smiles and needs. I realized I hadn’t prayed or thought much about all my sponsor kids in the last several days. My heart ached. I love them and I was ashamed that I had forgotten for a little while.

Right in the middle of service this question struck me. “How do I forget those things when there are some things I can’t forget?” I thought about it for a while. How in the world do I remember hurtful words, mean behavior, the distrust of a so called friend, and even the pain of some high school relationships? Why in the world can I remember those things and not the important things? Why do I have to try so hard to forget some moments in my life and yet there are some that I have to try so hard to remember?

As I read my Bible this morning I found comfort in my forgetfulness. Jesus is talking to His disciples in Mark, Chapter 8. In verse 18, He says to them, “Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?” Okay. I feel a little better. Jesus is reminding the disciples of the time they were involved in His provision to feed the masses with just a few loaves of bread. That would have been a pretty impressive day that would be etched in someone’s memory bank. Needs were met and yet these men had already forgotten the event and the power by which Jesus provided.

Flipping over to Philippians, I studied The Message translation of Chapter 3 and WOW! Verses 12 through 16 make me want to get up and tackle today with new focus and passion regardless of what my brain wants to hang on to. Check this out from Paul as he sits in PRISON… “I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.”

I need to embrace my forgetfulness. It makes me desperate for Jesus to help my ways become more like His ways. In regards to the things I can’t seem to forget, I am going to push myself and pray to continue to focus forward and keeping my eye on the goal. I do want everything God has for me. I don’t want to miss the opportunities that He will allow me to be a part of. Most importantly, I feel a little more normal this morning as I was reminded some of the guys closest to Jesus were quickly forgetful. Yet, He found then usable in making some dents in people’s lives.

Let’s make this day great and focus forward making one dent at a time in this world!