Contribution

I sat in church yesterday and listened to the guest speaker, Sam Collier say, "there's a difference between a moment and a movement." He spoke about the conversion of Paul being a moment that led to a movement. I began to think about all the moments in my life that could have led to a movement. I thought about the moments when fear and doubt paralyzed me. Then, I thought about all the times I moved. I thought about all the times I finished. I finished starting the business. I threw that show. I wrote those books. I sold those t-shirts. I made those cards. I wrote those poems. Those are my contributions. Those are my movements. It's easy to focus on what you didn't do, but what have you finished? What did you accomplish? What's your contribution? Maybe it's that little boy or little girl you are raising. Maybe it's that overtime you are putting in at your job. Maybe it's those ideas that are keeping you up at night. Whatever it is, you have something the world needs.

Courage

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

cour·age ˈkərij/ noun

1. the ability to do something that frightens one.

2. strength in the face of pain or grief.

Strength has never been a difficult thing for me. I was raised by a single parent. My mother taught me how to be strong. The women in my family are fierce. Strength came easy, but courage was something different. I knew how to handle difficult situations. I knew how to manage my emotions. I knew how to "get over it," but courage was something different. Courage meant acknowledging my fear. It meant unpacking all the fear. It meant opening the closet and letting the skeletons fall out. It meant doing the hard work. Courage meant standing even though my knees were shaking. Courage meant to knock on the door. Courage meant to try "it" again. Courage meant knowing that no matter what it looked like God is with me. Courage meant my faith had to be bigger than my fears. I encourage you today to be strong and of good courage. God is with you. 

Best

Good. Better. Best. I can admit that I have settled for good. I've been content with better, and yearned for more. Best is God's more. Most of us are happy with our good lives. We have good jobs, good cars, and good kids. Most of us are grateful for better jobs, better homes, and better opportunities. But, there's more. What if we were our best selves? What if we maximized every opportunity? What if we didn't settle? What would we look like living our best lives? Now, is the time to be great. Now, is the time to do our best and be our best.

Accept

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."- Reinhold Niebuhr

I've always loved the simplicity of the serenity prayer. I've struggled with accepting the things I cannot change. I've struggled with not being in control. I've struggled with my will versus God's will. Sometimes, what I've wanted has superseded what I needed and resulted in very difficult lessons. My prayer is that I accept that which I cannot control and that which I cannot change. I trust God. My peace comes from God. It is the peace of God that allows me to accept and rest in his promises. It is the peace of God that allows me to accept.

Principle

What do you believe in? What is the moral standard for your life? Do you believe that rules are meant to be broken? What does your character look like? These are all questions that you have to ask yourself at one point or another. Is the man or woman in the mirror calling for change? I teach my kids that they are leaders, individuals, and examples. They are young ladies with morals, character, and principles. They are young women with a godly standard. I try to instill in them to do the right thing when no one is looking because that is the true test of character. What are the rules you are governed by? Are you a person of principle?

Workmanship

I've always enjoyed hearing creation stories from all around the world. Some are a bit far fetched, but amusing nonetheless. I've always imagined God as a Master Craftsman. The human body is a marvel. The brain, the blood vessels, the heart, the lymph nodes all working together to ensure we function properly. I stand in awe of the clouds and the stars and the planets. Our sun and our moon co-exist in our sky. Creation is God's workmanship. It is meticulous and beautiful. It is specific in its design and function. It is engineered in excellence and has lasted several millennia despite our efforts to destroy it. It is nothing short of amazing. We are a spectacle. We are a wonder because we are God's workmanship.

I need you

God does not let you graduate until you maximize the blessing, learn the lesson, and pass the test. My husband and I often say that we could not have reconnected any earlier than we did because we we're not ready. We had not learned all the lessons from past relationships. We had not mastered our singledom, nor had we learned from our brokenness. Isn't it funny how God can use our pain to bless us?
 
What do you mean? Well, most of us don't truly learn who God is until we need him. We don't know he's a healer, until we are sick. We don't know he's a deliverer, until we need deliverance. We don't know he's a savior, until we need saving. The same can be same about our mates. I'm not talking boyfriends or significant others. I'm talking about those who are in covenant relationships. We don't know how much we love and appreciate our mates until our marriages are tested. We don't know how much we can endure until we are forced to endure it.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was that marriage is about need. God said that it was not good for man to be alone so he sent him a helpmeet. Before I got married, I didn't need a man. I just wanted one. I didn't understand that I was a stubborn, fiercely independent woman, who was a Stone in name and theory. Yet by the grace of God, I recognize that I needed to be loved. I needed to be protected. Just like my husband needed me. He needed his rib. He needed a helpmeet. We need each other. Marriage is vulnerability by design.

Today, I celebrate my husband's life. I am so proud to be his wife. I do not take it lightly that God chose me to be his wife, the one with whom he will spend the rest of his life. I love you. I want you. I need you. Happy Birthday Babe.