Yellow

The Cross on Easter Morning -"shop" painting

I just finished this cross painting a couple weeks ago.  I think it might be my personal favorite.  I love it because it's yellow.  Sunrise colors. 

Yellow in this painting speaks of the light and brightness Jesus brought into the world because of what He accomplished on the cross. 

I'm a light fanatic. And so I'm so drawn to the fact that Jesus said of Himself "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Are you a light fanatic like me but yet you sometimes feel you are in darkness in some area of your life?  Follow Jesus today. You and I are given a fresh start.

We can begin walking in the light in every area of our lives today.  Today is a new day.

We can actually participate in being a light in this world!

In fact... that is what we are called to do.  

Pretty awesome calling I would say.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden...”

— Matthew 5:14

There's Always Beauty

A view from I-5 😊

Road trips are always fun because there are new things flashing in front of your eyes all the time.

So many beautiful views.  Now it is also true there is a lot of cement and maybe views that aren't as pretty as this one pictured here, but there is always something beautiful to look at.  It just depends on what we focus on during the road trip.  Where we decide to turn our heads and what we fix our eyes on.

This is just like "The Road Trip of Life."  It really does make a difference... a huge difference in life, where we decide to turn our heads and what exactly we focus on.  What are we fixing our eyes on?  Let's not fix our eyes on ugly things, but rather all the good and beautiful things that are surrounding us.

You may say, "There is nothing beautiful for ME though, Tambo!"  My answer, said very warmly and with love, "There is beauty you can focus on my friend." 

And then I would encourage you to pray to Our Father and ask him as you really pause ... ask God to show you what is beautiful around you.  Ask Him how to focus on that instead of the negative or hard hurdles you may be facing.  And HE WILL show you.

"Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are hones, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pre, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." -Philippians 4:8

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith...”

— Hebrews 12:2

We Can Rest Because He's at Rest

Grambo with Baby Ev 💛

Well, while in L.A., Ev is sort of an easy jump off point for my posts.  He's just pretty irresistible.

One of the reason's why he is a great subject point is because there is just such a sweetness with the love exchange. He hugs you back. It's the cutest most endearing thing! 💛

Right before this picture, Ev, Mary, and myself were in that lake behind us in a paddle boat together.  We put a lifejacket on him he wasn't totally thrilled about, but we knew the importance of it... Once we got in the boat, Ev forgot about the lifejacket, and he thought he was a little sailor and had control of the boat I'll bet.  But in reality, I had control of the boat. But he had fun steering it for a bit. 

Sailor Ev

Even though Ev doesn't fully know everything at all or understands the details in his life, he does know, he KNOWS he is loved.  And he is enjoying his little life of adventure.  He also reciprocates the love that he senses in such a precious way.

So to, we as God's children, do not need to know everything, or have everything figured out, we just should know today just HOW LOVED we are by our Father.  We need to know that Our God is mighty and will protect us.  We need to know that sometimes when He puts a "lifejacket" on us that feels a little cumbersome, it is there to protect us. 

And most importantly, as we are given these days here on earth full of adventure, we need to know that Our Loving Father has the purest of love for us... and He actually rests in HIS love for us.  He loves us even when we act perturbed about something.  He joys over us. 

So we can rest because He is at rest.  We can reciprocate the love we know God has for us.  We can exchange love with GOD as we rest in His loving arms today.  And we will end up in the right and best place in our lives journey as He will be faithful to take us where we are supposed to be, step by step. 

“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in his love, He will joy over thee with singing.”

— Zephaniah 3:17

Security and Confidence Like Ev

This picture was taken yesterday as my daughter, grandson, and I went out for lunch at the Americana in L.A.  just a few miles from Mary's home.

Ev's expression and body language here say more than words ever could of just how secure, confident, and content he feels.  Look at his face looking at his Mommy: he's admiring her and joy is filling his heart, as you can clearly see in his smile.  You can also sense the relaxed security he feels.  Look at his little arms just sitting there all relaxed while he's in Grambo's arms! 😍

Bottom line: the kid knows he's loved! ❤️ He is so confident in that fact.

Do we really know HOW LOVED we are by God?  We are even more loved by God than Ev is by his Mom and Grambo, and that is saying a LOT!

As we learn this more and more with each passing day, I really think our expressions and body language will look a lot more like Ev's does in this photo.

Know sweet reader... You. are. loved. by. God! Let's have confidence today in this love. 

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”

— Jeremiah 17:7

Beauty

It was my youngest daughter's birthday yesterday.  I was able to spend the day with her yesterday in LA.  She is an easy one to celebrate because she has brought nothing but joy ever since the day she was born. 

She is the epitome of beauty.  She is not just gorgeous outwardly, but all that comes out of her is beautiful as well. 

We love hanging out together.  We have everything in common, and she has a way of making me feel like a million bucks.  

Do we make others feel like a million bucks?  Do we make others feel like they have value?  Mary does this in such a natural way, and that's just one of the many things I love about her.

God help me to do this!  Let's see if the people in our lives feel valued by us.  Let's see if Our Father might show us specific ways to do this in our different relationships.

It's so fulfilling when we do do this, so let's have fun looking to God to help show us how to find many different ways to do this throughout our day... just like my daughter Mary does. 💛

Mary, Ev, and Grambo 

“Encourage one another and build one another up...”

— 1 Thessalonians 5:11

The Path

Photo available in "shop"

We are all on this path of life.  We can sometimes be worried about what's going to jump out in front of us or what's around the corner.  

Sometimes we can grow anxious and concerned about things that never even happen.  Or if they do happen, we get to the other side.

Think about anything you're concerned about on the path that's ahead of you and try this...

Be still and know that God is God.  

As you think about every and any worry you might have.  Stop.  And then KNOW that your loving God has it all dialed.  Know that God has made a way.  Know that nothing happens to you, it only happens for you!  

You can rest in that fact.  

Now enjoy the secured and adventurous path ahead.

“Be still, and know that I am God...”

— Psalm 46:10

#selfie

Lula taking a "Selfie" yesterday of  "Girls day out with the  Fro's (Dreads) "✌️✌️

A couple of my all-time favorite days of the week are Mondays and Wednesdays.  Mondays are "Girls day out with the Reds,"

"Girls day out with the Reds" 👍👍 (A picture's worth a 1,000 words)

and Wednesdays are "Girls day out with the Fro's," but I think we need to change that to "Girls day out with the Dread's (Dreadlocks)." 😂

Now Mondays and Wednesdays aren't the only days I hang out with my granddaughters, but this is kind of our ritual we set up!  

I love this fun "selfie" Lula took yesterday.  Now it's a selfie +2,  Lula + Char and myself.

Often selfies are taken by yourself because there is no one there to take the picture of you.  I don't ever take selfies myself because the picture never turns out very attractive. 😳😂  But if I liked taking "selfies" in this scenario,  it might kind of feel lonely except for the fact that I know, when we take "selfies" we are really never just by ourself.  It is always myself... + One.

One of the reasons I love being by myself is because I know it's always, and I mean always "selfie" + One.  And the One I'm talking about is The Magnificent One! 

We actually feel less lonely when we are alone oftentimes, because it's then that we actually take time to notice that God is with us. 

When I recognize God... did you hear that?  That GOD is with us, and we are NEVER alone, all of a sudden our days looks different.  We have more courage.  We're not afraid of things we would've been otherwise. We're all of a sudden strengthened. 

Let's remember today we are never, and I mean never, alone or all by ourselves.  God is with me.  God is with you.  God is with us today.

That is really really really incredible!

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

— Joshua 1:9

Anticipate With Excitement What is to Come

My husband and I had a fun day yesterday walking around Ashland and just enjoying the afternoon together. 

It was a gorgeous day, and you could feel fall coming as the mornings and evenings are so much crisper than they were even a week ago.

Jon's favorite time of the year is fall.  So he was super proud of this quote he found and would "drop it" yesterday at any possible opportunity. 😂 He said it to me several times, to the girl scooping up our ice cream, etc... This was the quote:

“Fall is the second Spring where every leaf turns into a flower.”

This is a glorious quote because it speaks of how beautiful God's creation is, and it makes me excited for the season to come.

A thought for today is that sometimes in life we are robbed of today because we are worried about the future season to come.  We needn't be as we know we have a loving Father that has already gone before our future... and it will be a victorious, beautiful season as we walk with our amazing and miraculous God. 

So let's find ourselves excited, prayerful, and anticipating a beautiful season that's on its way.  It'll be a season where we see God's handy work everywhere! 🍂