Always Room For More Love Page 7
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Recognizing the GOOD Stuff... HEB has done a very GOOD THING - they have made shopping much easier for us! 1. They put 2 kinds of lunchmeat in one package. 2. They priced it cheaper than 2 separate 7 ounce ones. 3. They made it a FULL POUND of lunchmeat. 4. And the very best part? They didn’t add a bunch of water to it - so you don’t have to wring it out in paper towels to keep your sandwich dry!
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Do you have a few dollars a month you can spare to help some kids? 2 Santa Fe Goodtell you where your heart is." "Where you spend your dollar will always News
STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN... Although tolerance is a virtue, the fact is there are many varieties of human behavior that should not be tolerated, and whole societies have gone to ruin because they tolerated the intolerable.
FRONT PORCH NEWS
~ M. Scott Peck M.D.
by Lynn Trahan
Dear Disney,
It really doesn’t matter whether my beliefs about homosexuality are right or yours are right. Perhaps we are both wrong... It is not my job or my right to judge you nor is it yours to judge me, however it is our responsibility to never knowingly cause anyone to stumble. Allowing behavior that could be perceived as sin to take place in front of children is wrong. Perhaps we can agree on that. This is true for porn, drunkenness, adultery, murder and even such things as gluttony and foul language. We don’t put any of these in children’s programming, so why would you put in same sex public displays of affection? Life is not easy to figure out and our suicide rate confirms this. We must do what we can to benefit the majority of our population, however special needs should not to be ignored. We have NEW practices for just about every type of special need on the planet today, but it is not wisdom to sacrifice the rights of many to make the lives of a few feel more comfortable. I sympathize with anyone who is different in any way, but I cannot stand by and
allow the lives of so many children that they cannot to be harmed because of a possibly understand. You few different ones. are creating confusion in every home in America, We cannot remove the rather than in just the few word “normal” from our who should be made to make vocabulary in order to their own explanations. make a few feel better about themselves. All people are human and deserve to be It is the same with heard, loved and treated as milk and nuts and sugar, fairly as possible. But life etc. I understand that there is not fair and we cannot are children who cannot make it so. We can change have these things, but I laws to accommodate our do not believe it is right differences as long as we to deny all children candy don’t hurt many to make the because a few can’t have few more comfortable. We it. We are allowing things can never make everyone to change in our country to happy, but we can stand up suit a few at the expense of and protect the majority of many. This is not wise. It’s society. That is tolerance a shame that we can’t all and common sense. be the same, but we aren’t and that’s the way it is. The Good News is that it’s not too late! You are trying Change only happens to make it appear that when people get enough homosexuality is the “new and decide to stand up. norm” and it’s not. Most people are not gay. No The best way is always matter how much you try with our dollars. to imply that it’s normal You have given every to have same sex parents, GOOD parent only 2 it’s not normal. You, along choices: boycott or screen with Hollywood and every movie, since PG is our leaders are forcing now no longer good enough. “normal” parents to have What do you think they to explain things to their are going to choose to do?
NEED dinner ideas? CLICK the link above... IDEAS galore! "Hi, my name is Christy Jordan and I like to feed people."
Christy’s NEW COOKBOOK is out & we love it!
“Sweetness” is full of great SOUTHERN recipes...
All 3 of her cookbooks are so much It’s about all kinds of sweet more than recipes... delicious food, but it’s also sprinkled You can Google a recipe or with a lot of common sense, sweet even search Southern Plate for one, family traditions and all the southern but you can’t GET INSPIRED to charm that Christy is known for. show your family how much you love them that way. That’s what We believe it’s worth every penny cookbooks do for us these days, because it’s not only full of GREAT recipes, it’s also a GOOD READ! they inspire us.
To take a LOOK INSIDE CLICK here...
Christy got a NEW breadmachine for Christmas! You know what that means... recipes are already rolling in HERE.
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Today is a Good Day...
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It is a good day to notice the sky. Savor your food. Smile more. Sing along to the radio. Eat a piece of chocolate. Hold doors for others. Let yourself feel hope.
than we’ll ever know. Today is a good day to pause and just breathe and know that everything is gonna be alright.
So lift up your face, square your shoulders, and Realize that our problems get ready to show the world are smaller than they seem, and what you’re made of. Smile our impact on others is greater hon, you got this!
Let Christy INSPIRE you with this
Amazing Apple Bread
This recipe can be found in “Sweetness” and it was delicious!
GOOD STUFF
We are here to encourage you. We are here to assure you that God has everything under control and if you believe in Him, everything’s going to be all right in the end.
Create a Group Start your own support group for single new VISION: for every girl with an unplanned pregnancy to have a church moms at your home church! to go to for spiritual, emotional and The new Embrace Life curriculum physical support. and program equips single new moms on how to flourish in their relationship with God and MISSION: to inspire and equip the not only survive in life but THRIVE! These church to love on single and pregnant brave moms will learn spiritual and practical young women and their families. ways to help navigate their way through life while using the Holy Spirit as their compass. WHAT WE DO: The primary goal of Embrace Grace is to empower churches across the nation to be a safe and non-judging place for the girls to run to when they find out they are pregnant, instead of the last place they are welcomed Embrace Grace and Life were created to help because of shame and guilt. encourage, educate and empower young, single moms just like you, and to speak into WHY WE EXIST: your life to make sure that you know that your Emotionally and spiritually healthy dreams are not over. mommies parent emotionally and spiritually healthy babies. God still has an amazing destiny and purpose created just for you, all you have to do is grab a hold of it and believe. He wants to be in relationship with you because He put gifts and talents inside of you that only YOU have. By joining an Embrace Grace or Embrace Life group you will learn how to dream big while also receiving help with the practical and spiritual aspects of life. There is a place for you!
Find a Group HERE
Currently Serving
Always Room For More Love GREAT READ by Regina Brett The latest wedding reminded me what it truly means to be family. When we first tried to blend our families, it was bumpy and clunky and messy and sometimes painful for everyone. I was Catholic; Bruce was Jewish. I was an unwed single mother with a daughter I had raised alone, so I was both her partner and her parent. He was a newly-divorced father of two sons who was trying to figure out how to be a dad who no longer lived full time with his kids. My daughter was 15; his sons were 14 and 12. All three children were so very different from each other. My daughter’s father had vanished from her life; his sons’ mother was fully present, a Jewish mother who loves fiercely and forcefully and raises the bar so high you can’t imagine touching it. “Stepmother” wasn’t a word that ever sounded pleasing or inviting or anything I wanted to be. Fairy tales pretty much ruined that word forever. I simply wanted to love those two boys like my own without hurting anyone in the process. At first, I felt kind of like an understudy, waiting to play the part of mom if I was ever needed, which was pretty much never. Then I figured out I needed to be just an extra adult in their life who loves them.
each other’s traditions without watering down your own? Over the past 20 years of our marriage, we figured out what it means to be family. It’s messy and magical, all at once. Usually the magic is tucked into the mess and you don’t discover it until hours later or days later when you’re laughing over what you once cried or fought about. There are so many ways to be family. My husband once saw his as a broken family. I once saw mine as half a family. Then one day, like the day your son marries and merges you with yet another family, you are reminded that family is ... simply family. After years of dating a lovely actress in New York City, our youngest son, Joe, proposed to the love of his life, a Catholic woman named Sarah Grace. Isn’t that a great name? Grace describes her and her family perfectly.
The day before the wedding, all the families gathered for lunch. The Loves finds a way. mother of the bride spoke, then the mother Love figures it out. of the groom, then me. The room pulsated You can never have too much love in with joy. We were all moms who loved your life. Joe and Sarah. We were all moms excited to share them in new ways, big and small. Still, there’s no guidebook We were all one family with even more on how to blend families. How do you love among us to figure it out. celebrate holidays without stepping on each other’s faith? How do you honor Because love isn’t just a feeling. Continued on page 12.
Springtime is the best time because the whole world gets to begin again. Resurrection means to rise again. Re means to begin again. Springtime always gives us a chance to refresh, revitalize, remove, renew, regain and even repair our lives. You can start redoing anything you like today. Perhaps you will make this April the one you remember for the rest of your life.
April
PRODUCE in SEASON HERE LOCALLY
•Brussel Sprouts •Broccoli •Cabbage •Cauliflower •Collard Greens •Kale •Mustard Greens •Radishes •Strawberries (picked) •Strawberries (u-pick) •Turnips & Greens
Blessings
APRIL
Ideas
Clean the porch. Create a new deck. Spruce up your patio. Don’t just SPRINGCLEAN, have a party... Include an ADULT Easter Egg Hunt! Have a crawfish boil. Plant a NEW flowerbed. Clean, fill and/or replace your birdfeeders, then sit back & enjoy the show. Get outside & have some fun! Start a springtime ritual you can pass down to your kids.
April is a great time to visit your LOCAL library. National Library Week April 9th - 15th Books, Movies & Magazines Can help us live our lives with gusto!
Photo by Kay Stenzel
The Lord never said it was going to be easy, He said everything was going to turn out alright.
LIFE is GOOD in Santa Fe!
GOOD STUFF
Don't Widen the Plate
In Nashville, Tennessee more than 4,000 baseball coaches descended upon the Opryland Hotel for the 52nd annual ABCA's convention... the year was - 1996. While I waited in line to register with the hotel staff, I heard other more veteran coaches rumbling about the lineup of speakers scheduled to present during the weekend. One name, in particular, kept resurfacing, always with the same sentiment — “John Scolinos is here? Oh, man, worth every penny of my airfare.” Who is John Scolinos, I wondered? No matter; I was just happy to be there. In 1996, Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching career that began in 1948. He shuffled to the stage to an impressive standing ovation, wearing dark polyester pants, a light blue shirt, and a string around his neck from which home plate hung — a full-sized, stark-white home plate. Seriously, I wondered, who is this guy? After speaking for twenty-five minutes, not once mentioning the prop hanging around his neck, Coach Scolinos appeared to notice the snickering among some of the coaches. Even those who knew Coach Scolinos had to wonder exactly where he was going with this, or if he had simply forgotten about home plate since he’d gotten on stage. Then, finally …“You’re probably all wondering why I’m wearing home plate around my neck,” he said, his voice growing irascible. I laughed along with the others, acknowledging the possibility. “I may be old, but I’m not crazy. The reason I stand before you today is to share with you baseball people what I’ve learned in my life, what I’ve learned about home plate in my 78 years.” Several hands went up when Scolinos asked how many Little League coaches were in the room. “Do you know how wide home plate is in Little League?” After a pause, someone offered, “Seventeen inches?”, more like a question than an answer. “That’s right,” he said. “How about in Babe Ruth’s day? Any Babe Ruth coaches in the house?” Another long pause. “Seventeen inches?” a guess from another reluctant coach. “That’s right,” said Scolinos. “Now, how many high school coaches do we have in the room?” Hundreds of hands shot up, as the pattern began to appear. “How wide is home plate in high school baseball?” “Seventeen inches,” they said, sounding more confident. “You’re right!” Scolinos barked. “And you college coaches, how wide is home plate in college?” “Seventeen inches!” we said, in unison. “Any Minor League coaches here? How wide is home plate in pro ball?” ............“Seventeen inches!”
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“RIGHT! And in the Major Leagues, how wide home plate is in the Major Leagues? “Seventeen inches!” “SEV-EN-TEEN INCHES!” he confirmed, his voice bellowing off the walls. “And what do they do with a Big League pitcher who can’t throw the ball over seventeen inches?” Pause....
swept under the rug for years. Our church leaders are widening home plate for themselves! And we allow it.”
The chuckles gradually faded as four thousand coaches grew quiet, the fog lifting as the old coach’s message began to unfold. He turned the plate toward himself and, using a Sharpie, began to draw something. When he turned it toward the crowd, point facing up, a house was revealed, complete with a freshly drawn door and two windows.
“If I am lucky,” Coach Scolinos concluded, “you will remember one thing from this old coach today. It is this: if we fail to hold ourselves to a higher standard, a standard of what we know to be right; if we fail to hold our spouses and our children to the same standards, if we are unwilling or unable to provide a consequence when they do not meet the standard; and if our schools & churches & our government fail to hold themselves accountable to those they serve, there is but one thing to look forward to …” With that, he held home plate in front of his chest, turned it around, and revealed its dark black backside, “… dark days ahead.”
“And the same is true with our government. Our so called representatives make rules for us that don’t apply to themselves. They take bribes from lobbyists and foreign countries. They no “They send him to Pocatello !” longer serve us. And we allow them to he hollered, drawing raucous laughter. widen home plate and we see our country “What they don’t do is this: they don’t falling into a dark abyss while we watch.” say, ‘Ah, that’s okay, Jimmy. You can’t hit a seventeen-inch target? We’ll make it I was amazed. At a baseball eighteen inches or nineteen inches. We’ll convention where I expected to learn make it twenty inches so you have a better something about curve balls and bunting chance of hitting it. and how to run better practices, I had learned something far more valuable. If you can’t hit that, let us know so we can make it wider still, say twenty- From an old man with home five inches.” Pause... “Coaches…” pause, plate strung around his neck, I had learned "… what do we do when our best player something about life, about myself, shows up late to practice? When our team about my own weaknesses and about my rules forbid facial hair and a guy shows responsibilities as a leader. I had to hold up unshaven? What if he gets caught myself and others accountable to that drinking? Do we hold him accountable? which I knew to be right, lest our families, Or do we change the rules to fit him? Do our faith, and our society continue down we widen home plate? an undesirable path.
“This is the problem in our homes today. With our marriages, with the way we parent our kids. With our discipline. We don’t teach accountability to our kids, and there is no consequence for failing to meet standards. We widen the plate!” Pause...Then, to the point at the top of the house he added a small American flag. “This is the problem in our schools today. The quality of our education is going downhill fast and teachers have been stripped of the tools they need to be successful, and to educate and discipline our young people. We are allowing others to widen home plate! Where is that getting us?” Silence....He replaced the flag with a Cross. “And this is the problem in the Church, where powerful people in positions of authority have taken advantage of young children, only to have such an atrocity
And this my friends is what our country has become and what is wrong with it today, and how to fix it. “Don't widen the plate.” Author Unknown
Continued from page 7. It’s a choice you make. A choice you keep which my cousin Marci described as making, day after day, and sometimes part theater, vaudeville and creativity hour by hour. all wrapped in pure love. The vows the bride and groom shared made us all My, oops, our daughter, laugh, cry and want to love each other Gabrielle, made the bouquets and and life even more. At the reception, we boutonnieres for the wedding. Our danced, all three moms, all in love with grandchildren, Ainsley and River, were the newlyweds, all wanting the best for the flower girls; our grandson Asher was our daughter and our son. The next day at the ring bearer. For grandchildren, there the farewell brunch, Joe’s mom, Lonnie, are no “step” anything. They just have taught my grandson a new card game. grandparents and uncles and now they have a new aunt. She wove her love into his heart and I hope it stays there. There’s always room A rabbi performed the wedding, in a heart, and in a family, for more love.
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n a C u Yo W O N n Liste ! e d i W World
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ~ Ephesians 2:8 New Living Translation
GOOD FINDS
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unashamed by Tracy Levinson
If you’ve got teenagers or young adults that you love - THIS is a GREAT book! The author is very candid and honest about sex, faith and purity. It is written from a loving perspective by someone who has clearly “been there, done a lot” and has a heart to help others make better choices than she did. This is truly a book designed to help young adults get the “real scoop” from an adult other than their parents or other relatives.
answers along with reasonable explanations... about everything.
Even if your children do talk to you about sex, you probably have not covered all of the ground with them that this book covers. You can get a good idea of the content by clicking the Amazon link below to read some of it. We think you’ll find it a terrific resource for both Mrs. Levinson has befriended you and your children. lots of young adults who want honest answers about sex without the judgement The “sex talk” is not easy for anyone, or criticism that usually acompanies it. In this book can really help. this book, she delivers just that - honest
READ MORE and/or BUY IT on Amazon by clicking HERE.
You can LEARN MORE and WATCH HER VIDEO about it HERE.
SPIRIT & SOUL
Pick up your own Little White Cross today!
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CORNER
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THE
Want to know more about the Little White Crosses movement? CLICK HERE! In honor of Easter Sunday a fresh load of Little White Crosses have been delivered to both Santa Fe locations. This has become a movement by Gods people, standing up for the Lord and for our right as Christians, by displaying a Little White Cross in front of every Christian home that wants one. You may pick up one for your neighbor too! *Please be sure to thank and to patronize our hosts when you pick up your crosses if you can.
They are FREE to anyone who wants to quietly share their belief with the world.
They are available at RE/MAX 1st Choice located at 13109 Hwy 6, courtesy of Monica Rojas and at GALCO HARDWARE store located at 12920 FM 1764, courtesy of Scott and Cecilia Eckenrode, Monica’s parents. They have graciously allowed us to use their businesses for the crosses.
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This dual memoir is a very well written page turner. Joey and Rory will forever be remembered as the couple who went from farm to fame & took America along on the journey with them.. This very honest account of their lives is a GOOD READ because their lives are not much different from our lives. Mr. Feek has a real talent for writing about life in such a way that allows the reader to see the humanity in all of our lives. Yes, he is famous and has travelled to places most of us will never go, but he makes it very plain... he’s no different from anyone else... really. Amazon’s Review: In This Life I Live, Rory Feek helps us not only to connect more fully to his and Joey’s story, but also to our own journeys. He gives never-before-revealed details on their life together and what he calls “the long goodbye,” the blessing of being able to know that life is going to end and taking advantage of it. Editor’s Note: This book is NOT a tear jerker, nor is it the least bit depressing. And the promotion of this book kind of gives you the impression that if you followed their story - you’ve read the book. That is NOT the case at all. The book has very little “already used” material in it. If you love them and want more... the book gives an even closer look at their “real lives”. Can't get enough Good News? Find us on Facebook... we post a whole lot of GOOD STUFF there!
LOOK Inside or BUY it HERE! Listen to the first 20 minutes read by the author HERE for FREE!
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GOOD LAGNIAPPE TIP THIS MONTH Tired of that five pound bag of potatoes growing eyes or going bad on you? Just one baking potato will feed 2 - 3 real people easily... it’s less to peel, it costs about the same and you won’t mind fixing just ONE potato ever. Get yourself 2 or 3 and try it. You will enjoy GOOD potatoes for the rest of your life, we guarantee it! We heard there were some gorgeous azaleas blooming at the Santa Fe Garden Group’s “Yard of the Month” pick for March, however we missed them. We were a day late and a dollar short of the display, but Pat and Vince Megale’s yard is beautiful even without them. Congratulations and thanks so much for doing your part to make Santa Fe a beautiful place to live.
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GOOD LOCAL STUFF
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This magazine is about love, family values & all the GOOD we can find in the world because we need things that inspire us to hope.
OUR VISION Peace for every woman, every child, every man, every day. Our Services •24 Hour crisis hotline •Court accompaniment •Assistance with filing protective orders •Information and referral •Education and awareness •Violence against women support groups •Legal advocacy
•Counseling •Police/Hospital 24 Hour accompaniment •Professional training’s and workshops •Clothing assistance •Post shelter follow-up program •Housing assistance •Case management Bay Area Turning Point is...
Where and When Can I Help? 18207 Egret Bay Blvd. Houston, TX 77058 RESALE Shopping Hours:
Sunday & Monday: Closed Tuesday– Saturday 10:00Am- 6:00Pm
BATP is a non-profit; community based social service agency providing a variety of services, including shelter, to families in need and public education/crime prevention activities in the Greater Bay Area. We service those impacted by family violence and sexual assault (including stranger and non-stranger sexual assault). VOLUNTEER Resale is always in search of dedicated volunteers!
DONATIONS ARE ACCEPTED: Tuesday – Friday 10:00M To 5:00Pm Saturday 10:00 Am To 2:00 Pm The Resale Shop benefits the clients of Bay Area Turning Point in two ways: 1. It provides our clients who have left home and are starting new lives with shopping vouchers that allow them to purchase clothing and other items needed without a charge. 2. It generates funds from the sales of goods to the general public to support direct services for clients like shelter, counseling, and advocacy. For every $45 donation received, Bay Area Turning Point is able to provide a safe haven for an adult and 2 children for 1 night.
Sort, stock, price or sell and have fun while making a difference! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit the volunteer page or contact our Volunteer Services Coordinator. *Donations to the resale shop are tax deductible according to the IRS regulations for charitable contributions. Your generous donations keep the shop stocked.
GOOD LOCAL STUFF Santa Fe Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, APRIL 8TH Joe A. Tambrella Park 13306 6th Street (Next to the library.)
Begins promptly @10:30a.m. The Santa Fe Parks & Recreation Board will be sponsoring their ANNUAL Easter Egg Hunt for the children of Santa Fe and the surrounding areas. All children between the ages of 1-10 years are welcomed and encouraged to participate. The hunt will be divided into 5 age groups (0-1 yrs; 2-3 yrs; 4-5 yrs; 6-8 yrs; 9-10 yrs) and will be done simultaneously. Each age group will have special prizes given out. COME EARLY Bring your Camera & take pics with the Easter Bunny before the hunt!
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A good deal for you, your community and the environment.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers. They sell new and gently used furniture, appliances, home accessories, building materials and more to the public at a fraction of the retail price. ReStores are independently owned and operated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations. Proceeds are used to help build strength, stability, self-reliance and shelter in local communities and around the world.
Bay Area HFH ReStore 1101 W Nasa Pkwy Webster, TX 77598 restore@bahfh.org (281) 332-1118 Pasadena HFH ReStore 1520 S Shaver St Pasadena, TX 77502 www.pasadenahabitat.org (713) 472-0997 Houston HFH ReStore 6161 S Loop E Houston, TX 77087 www.houstonhabitat.org/restore (713) 643-1100 Fort Bend HFH ReStore 13570 Murphy Rd Stafford, TX 77477 www.fortbendhabitat.org (281) 403-0700 Southern Brazoria Co ReStore 12 Cir Way Lake Jackson, TX 77566 habitatsbc.org (979) 285-0090 Northwest Harris Co ReStore 13350 Jones Rd Houston, TX 77070 Habitatnwhc.org (281) 890-5585 Montgomery County TX HFH ReStore 9407 SH 242 Conroe, TX 77385 www.hfhmctx.org/restore (936) 441-5888 Bryan/College Station HFH ReStore 2211 Maloney Ave Bryan, TX 77801 (979) 775-8122
GOOD LOCAL STUFF
If I get up most days without the strength or courage to start the day, how am I any better off than a non-believer with no faith? Because you have a place to go to get the strength and courage you need and they don’t. Do you struggle with your faith? You are not alone. Faith is simple, but it’s not easy. We have to help ourselves and others by admitting that we struggle, we are weak and we need help. Owning up to NOT being a perfect Christian is not easy, especially in our current environment. Criticism is rampant and we don’t want to attract anymore towards us than is already aimed our way. Here at the Good News, we are sure God has a plan and we aim to keep pressing on, helping in any way that we can. P.S. Please know that if you are reading this, we are praying for you. You don’t have to ask for prayer, you automatically get it just by being part of our Good News family of believers. Praying for God’s very best for you and yours always.
The LAST WORD So that’s how we are supposed to live – hanging on by a thread daily? I’m always seeking a fix, something to grab hold of every morning to make me strong enough to make it through the day. Always. I’m very rarely strong enough to just take off by myself with confidence and I do like to live confidently. Didn’t I tell you to seek me constantly? Well yes, but this is ridiculous. We can’t always feel like we are one disaster away from falling off the ledge and call ourselves living an abundant life, can we? I mean no disrespect Lord, but that’s not abundance, that’s just plain silly to expect us to live like that. We are wanting to be people who are strong and confident in the Lord, not weak and pitiful people. Hell pagans are weak and pitiful. We don’t want to shine the light on people barely getting by, do we? Are you barely getting by? Well yes, some days it feels like I am. Some days I get out of bed “large and in charge”, but most days I need a little help. I just don’t like to ask for it. I feel weak if I feel I need to ask for help, even from you. I thought Christians were supposed to be strong. They are. Those that seek Me first are strong. I do seek you first, almost every single day. I just don’t like constantly feeling like I’m a poor example of a believer. I strive so hard to be a GOOD Christian. I want to serve you Lord, I really do. I just don’t want people to see that I struggle. I want others to see how wonderful it is to have faith in you. I don’t want to discourage them from getting to know you based on my struggles. Everyone struggles...believers and non-believers. I guess I don’t want people to see me until I “get my face on” so to speak. Some days it requires minutes and other days it takes hours for me to get my strength up to facing whatever the day brings. My instructions are very simple... Keep your mind focused on Me instead of yourself and you won’t ever be weak and pitiful.