Love letter

If you've followed the blog the last month or so, you know my daughter married last month and we subsequently welcomed her husband into our family with open arms!

One of the most tender moments of the day took place prior to the wedding ceremony and just before Lorie and Phil took their "first look." For wedding novices, the first time the bride and groom see each other on their big day has officially been titled "the first look" by lifestyle photographers.

Lorie and Phil decided to forego wedding gifts for each other, and opted instead to write a card or note to be delivered by the mistress of ceremonies immediately prior to "the first look." The wedding party gals and the two of us moms had finished dressing and we were fussing over Lorie's finishing touches as Phil's card was delivered.

Now I have no idea what that card said, or what words Phil wrote in his enclosed letter, but I can testify to Lorie's reaction as she read that love letter. Her soft smile disappeared and tears of emotion spilled from her eyes as she read Phil's affirmation of love. Her tears were joined with tears all around as we witnessed true love on display.

Throughout the entire day, the love Phil and Lorie share was evident in their expressions of pure joy. Lorie glowed. Phil beamed. Their love: undeniable.

Paul writes to the Corinthians to tell them they are letters. Letters written by God, not on paper, but in their hearts. From 2 Corinthians 3:2-6, Paul writes:

"Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it-not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives-and we publish it. We couldn't be more sure of ourselves in this-that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation. We wouldn't think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves. Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn't written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It's written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives."

My prayer is this:

Please help me glow with love for you, oh Lord of my life. Write your letter of love in the depths of my heart. May my love for You be evident in my daily expressions of pure joy! Thank you, Jesus. Amen

Adjoining rooms...

Let's daydream a bit. Take a minute to think about one person you would really, I mean really, like to meet. A sports figure. A political person. A movie star. Or in my case, a country singer. Yep, for me, it's Keith Urban. Whoa baby!

Once you've figured out who this person is, picture yourself in a hotel. You've just checked into a luxury hotel and your expansive room is one of those cool rooms which has a connecting door to the room next door. Adjoining rooms. These rooms each have doors that, when unlocked and opened, entitle you to pass through to the other room without leaving your room via the hallway.

You're relaxing in your room when you hear a commotion out front. Looking out your window, you see your person, THE person you most want to meet, walking into the lobby of the hotel. Moments later, you're rocked to find out that your person is staying in the adjoining room!

If you're anything like me, you are itching to open your side of the adjoining doors. You know the other door will be closed and locked, but your curiosity is building by the minute. With your heart beating wildly, you decide to throw caution to the wind. As you hold your breath, you knock softly silently turn the lock and fling open the door only to find the adjoining door...gasp!...OPEN!

There stands Keith. Or Harrison. Or George. Or Angelina. Or Catherine. You hear the words, "I've been waiting for you to open the door. I heard that one of my biggest followers was staying next door. Come in. I'm anxious to meet you."

What a moment.

All it took was the courage to knock.

Jesus tells us to be bold and persistent in our requests of the faith. Jesus tells us in Luke 11: 9-10 that all we need to do is,

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

Who's checked into the room next door?

Inside out...

A Facebook friend of mine posted last week that she went to work and never noticed that she had worn her shirt inside out all day long! This post made me smile remembering the day I went to work with two mismatched shoes on my feet. In my defense, they were the same style, one just happened to be navy while the other was black!

Hmmm, inside out. What if we could focus more on what's on the inside instead of what we see on the outside?

It's silly how much time...and money...women spend on their looks. And believe me, I am including myself here!



Manicures. Pedicures. Hair cuts. Color. Highlights. Then add in the beauty products. Gels. Lotions. Perfumes. Serums. Puttys.


Human beings, men and women alike, are experts at wearing masks.We are terrified of not measuring up. We go to great lengths striving for perfection.

It's as if our true selves are not worthy to be seen.


Jesus is not concerned with our outward appearance. He is interested in the matters of the heart. In fact, he warns us about being concerned about our outward appearance while our insides are rotting. In Luke 11, Jesus scolds the Pharisees with these words: "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?"

The next time I pick up my mascara and eye liner, I need to remember to "dress up" my heart as well. I need to petition the Lord with the words from Psalm 57 (here from The Message):

"Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don't look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me."

Thanks for the loofah, Jesus! I'll need it daily to clean my innermost parts!

Northern Michigan Breakfast

Randy and I recently returned from our annual northern Michigan kayaking getaway. Nothing spells R-E-L-A-X-A-T-I-O-N like a few days away in upper lower Michigan. If you're not from Michigan, hold out your left hand and look at the point where the bottom of your fingernail touches your middle finger. That is one place we Michiganders call upper lower Michigan.

The destination for this yearly adventure is a small cluster of cabins situated a stone's throw from the swift current of the Sturgeon River. Our rustic log cabin, while complete with all the necessary comforts of home, has wonderfully charming characteristics. Sloping floors. Mismatched dishes.
Pull cords in place of light switches. A huge field stone fireplace. Curtains made from patterned bed sheets.

The cabin's kitchen is well stocked. Utensils, pots, pans and dinnerware are in abundance. Normally, random items such as coffee filters, toothpicks and salt and pepper are also readily available. We lack none of life's simple necessities.

Randy spoils me on these northern vacations. His special treat for me involves preparing all the meals. He loves making breakfast. He enjoys barbecuing on the outdoor charcoal grill. I literally sit like a queen and wait for my food. I bask in the glory of this small kingdom!

On our first morning, while licking my chops waiting to be served my fried eggs, bacon, sausage and muffin, I decided to set the table and put out the condiments. We'd purchased jelly, butter and peanut butter, so I set those on the table. We bought paper towels to serve the dual purpose of clean up and napkin substitute. Check. Plates, coffee cups, silverware. Check. Check. Check. And then the search began in earnest for salt and pepper. I searched the cupboards. I opened drawers. I peeked on shelves. Then, hiding behind the plastic glasses, I found one little plastic shaker containing...pepper. NO salt!

A home cooked breakfast is, hands down, the best meal of the day. But eggs without salt...now that's an entirely different matter altogether. Those eggs are bland, bland, bland!

Now I'm no salt guru by any means, but I do know that salt enhances the flavor of food. A little sprinkle of salt on vegetables and meat makes for a delicious feast. A dash of salt in boiling water brings out the sweetness in corn on the cob. We even add salt to cookie dough to bring out its sweet goodness! The tiniest amount of salt makes for a great transformation!

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth. We are to spread flavor throughout his creation. We are tasked with seasoning the earth with his goodness. Only by the grace of God are we able to do these things through him. Likewise, Jesus warns us about losing our "saltiness."

Matthew 5:13 from the Message:
"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage."

We were able to salvage the tastiness of our breakfast by using the remnants of sea salt from the jar of North Carolina peanuts we packed along. We're nothing if not creative geniuses!

Let's get shaking!