Review and/or Revert

Blossoms out my kitchen window 

Looking out my kitchen window during this season is so incredibly moving as I see bouquets from God through the blossoming of the trees. God's love and faithfulness is shown through creation. God's love and faithfulness is shown on the cross.  God's love and faithfulness is shown in our lives.

Today let's reflect on his love and faithfulness anytime we see the blossoms on a tree.  I think this can help us not to revert back to our old nature, because I think that can be our tendency to do.  When we feel like giving up or we can't see things working out, we can tend to revert back to our old ways.  It's at those times it's SO important for us to review that way of thinking and living. 

As we do that, I guarantee we will opt to not take the route of reverting back to our old ways.

Now let's pause and think about that bouquet before for us.  Let's pause and think about the big picture.  God has never let us down.  Sometimes when the story isn't over we can feel like we've been let down in all honesty.  BUT, do not give up!  Because He will prove himself faithful in our lives if we do not grow weary in well doing.

Let's review God's way and revert back to our first love.  Being amazed by Him. Opening up The Bible and being inspired by this Honorable Magical Domain being filled with hope.  Being blown away that the Creator of the Universe is asking us, no telling us, to talk with Him and ask of Him from our hearts. Now we get to walk today in the power of HIS might.

He's sending bouquets our way to remind us of this.  Let's look and listen. Review the faithfulness of God and Revert back to our first love.

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; he will exult over you with loud singing. ”

— Zephaniah 3:17

Sow Bountifully

Flowers in Palm Springs California

Today is a great day for us to be cheerful givers.  It's a perfect day for us to sow goodness, kindness, and love.  It's a day to speak and think and act in love.  It's a day to pray, casting all our cares on God because He cares for us. 

It's a day to remember, for all the things we don't fully get or understand, or if we don't feel like sowing some more because we don't exactly know what the future holds It's a day for us to trust the ultimate Giver of Life with our lives!  

We have motivation to sow in all things God has called us to sow, because the Bible says we will reap what we sow.

So let's sow bountifully. It will not go unpaid by our Father.

““Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.””

— Galatians 6:9

Fresh Canvas

Beauty in Palm Springs 

Today is a brand-new day.  It is a fresh canvas.  It is a day that God is ready to paint a masterpiece.  I know it is likely that many of us don't necessarily feel that way though.  But it is true. 

We can feel we have messed up our lives or already splattered our canvas with all the wrong colors.  But because of the depth of God's love and forgiveness we do have a fresh start.

The Bible says in 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Oh my goodness... Come ON... this is AMAZING! Why would we not want to grab ahold of this truth. 

As we do our eyes will be brighter, our days will be lighter yet richer.  We will accomplish things we never thought possible because it is this truth that gets us back on our feet again.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ”

— -Isaiah 43:19

God wants to do something new even if you feel you are in a desert season.  I think one of the most important things we can do, is to recognize our need for God today.  If we don't do that, we are going to just keep splatting all the wrong colors  in all the wrong places.

But when we talk to Our Father, get guidance from what I call "My magical honorable domain" (The Bible), recognize our need for forgiveness and quit blaming others for why WE choose wrongly, we will see a much more beautiful piece much quicker!

As we start investing today in love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As we know and rely on the love God has for us. Because God is LOVE...We will be blown away at just what God creates in and through our lives. 

Time to let the Master Creator create❗️

Just a Page

The Last Bookstore in downtown L.A.

A couple days ago, my daughter Christy led us on an adventure to "The Last Bookstore" in downtown L.A.. It was super interesting and there were tons and tons of books. 

If I were to take out a page out of one of these books, then walk away with it, and read it and re-read it, I would be missing out on the full story and the actual purpose of that page. 

I wonder how often we do that with the stories God is writing for our lives?

Do we sometimes focus on one page?  Perhaps a page from the past. One that we have glorified or maybe one we regret. Maybe we are focusing on the present page that may seem a little monotonous, or maybe it feels a little tragic? It could be we are worried about a future page that hasn't even been written?

It is so important to keep the big perspective that God's got our story.  And because He is creating it, it is going to be a good one.

“...Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith... Hebrews 12:2”

You might be saying "But Tambo, I've messed up my story because of the mistakes I have made! I've added some super dumb pages to my story." But God would say to you, "If you love me, I will turn even that around for the good and create something beautiful out of it."

Our stories will be worth reading in the end.  Trust me. Enjoy the story being written by our Loving Amazing Father,  Don't focus on just one page because that page in the big scheme of things will flow beautifully with the entire story being written.  So walk with, and trust the writer of your story because he will write a much better one than if we tried to write it ourselves. 

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His pupose.”

HELP!

Baby sister crying...Ev plugging his ears 

My daughter Mary texted me this picture yesterday and it made me laugh.  

Ev loves his baby sister so much. He loves to give her kisses and place her blankets over her nice and cozy. She is a VERY good baby.  She rarely cries... BUT... WHEN she cries, she shocks us all with those lungs of hers. 😭😂.

Ev in this picture looks like he just can't even believe it.  The lungs on his tiny precious little sister is very hard to believe!

Sometimes when we are around someone, we wish we could do the same thing.  Their speech is mean and unkind.  It's critical and sometimes just whinny.  So often people can "house" their criticism in such a way to make it appear like they are trying to be helpful or learn from someone else but in reality, it's just criticism. 

Even though we may not be able to just plug our ears like Ev... We certainly can change the subject so we are not apart of this kind of action. 

Yep. It's hard to believe this little angel was the one screaming just minutes before this picture.

It also makes me think.  How often do people wish they could pull an "Ev" when they are talking to me?  Do I complain, whine, or worse yet scream?  Do I put others down? Do those around me wish they could just plug their ears?

“The Bible says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue...””

Let's be those today that bring L I F E through whatever our vocal chords decide to do today! Let's make it so everyone around us today hear words of encouragement and kindness.  Let's be those that speak words of  faith, hope, and all things loving.  Not JUST to others, but to OURSELVES as well. 

When and if we fail in this endeavor, let's thank God we are forgiven and move forward in words of life from there on out.

God has given us the ability to do this so let's take advantage of such a beautiful gift He has given us through all that we speak.

Let's laugh more today.  Let's bring joy.

Beautiful Baby Rel

Born 2-1-17-6lbs 15 oz- 21 inches tall. Creation at it's finest!

Okay. My heart is smitten.

I've got myself a new beautiful baby granddaughter.  She is so precious and sweet.  I'm already in love with her and I just met her a week and a half ago!

To watch MY daughter LOVE and be such a LOVING mother is beyond amazing to watch.  The love Rel is experiencing from her Daddy Shea and Big Bro Ev is too cute and precious for words!

The way we are smitten with new Baby Rel pales in comparison to the LOVE GOD FEELS FOR US! He wants nothing but the best for us. Even as we want nothing but the best for our baby Rel.

That's a LOT OF LOVE.  Thats something to treasure today.  The knowledge and understanding that our GOD has EVEN GREATER love for us than we do for our new baby Rel.

We can be comforted and encouraged by this.  Let's think about the concerns and worries we might have at this very moment.  God's got this! He does! Bask in the love of God today and we will be at great peace and have a beautiful day! 

Beautiful Baby Rel Emaline Parton! 

Shhhhhh... my new baby sis is sleeping! - Big Bro Ev

Up or Down?

Joppa Israel - Photo available under "Shop Photographs."

We are at any moment stepping higher are falling lower.  

God has given us free choice on who we are going to be.  He has given us a choice on wether we are going to be apart of this great calling of being lights in this world.  Or he has given us the choice to be apart of the darkness.  God didn't make robots.

Today we will have very real choices.  To walk up towards our heavenly call. To stand up for what is beautiful and right.  Taking the steps up to all things pure and beautiful.  To look to our Father for guidance in hard times.  To worship Him and be thankful to Him. To trust him with our lives.

We also need to trust God with those in our lives who might not be choosing the way up but rather we see them go down.  We need to trust our Father with that loved one.  

Sometimes, they will go down a bit more before we see them choose to begin going up.  If we try and make them into something they are not choosing for themselves, they will know how to fake it for a little while but then their true colors will begin pouring out again and again. 

If we try and pull them up without it being there choice, they will be fighting against us and end up falling over the edge even in a worse way.  We need to know our Father loves that person even MORE than we do!  It would be wrong for us to justify and support that person in their bad choices or act like it is okay.  We want to be those that speak the truth in their lives and not tippy-toe around them and who they have become.  But we can do that in LOVE with confidence.   We can shine around them more than ever but we need to be FREE from being the one who is feeling the pressure to change them.  Because in all honesty, we can't.  There is ONE God. And it will have to be Him that becomes that for and to them.

Be free today from feeling responsible for that child, that spouse, that co-worker, that roommate, that boss, or whoever it might be.

Let's just keep being those that take the steps UP towards all that is light.  Bringing heaven to earth and  God will shine through us.  Let's let God do the miracle in that person we love and care for so very much.  He will do a far better job at bringing them to, or back to the light.  

We may sometimes think, "Oh shoot, but I keep falling myself!" God knows what we are made of.  God actually MADE us so He told us the way to move forward.  We can easily even now say "Father I fail.  I fail again and again but YOU pick me up.  You show grace.  I can grab mercy today. Thank you Father." and you will find yourself bouncing back up with more vigor and more energy and renewed vision.

It is SUPER fun to rise higher.  To choose LIFE, LIGHT, and LOVE.  Let's be people saying I'm going UP and ALL who want to can come with me are welcome to join. Let's just keep it up and those that are not choosing this for themselves, will eventual want to come by their own will.  Be free today knowing God's got this!

““Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee..””

— Psalms 55:22

Bridge!

"We have now bridged the gap from despair to hope w/ the Promises of God!" -Ben Courson

If you're like me you are looking for ways today, to bridge any gaps we have from concerns and hurts and from despair over to... HOPE in GOD! 

You're wanting to be lifted up with TRUTH!

You're looking for ways to get your mind all straightened out and your heart invigorated and your life motivated to walk in the beautiful calling God has for you.

If you are like me in these things,  then take the time even now, to take in and absorb this powerful Hope Generation Creative; Promises, that features my son Ben, proclaiming from memory the scriptures, filmed in one continuous take. 

Try getting alone and turning up these promise of God that are specially for YOU...and ABOSORB them.

Then share it so that others are revitalized today.