2nd C...

I have had a great couple days the last few days. Busy - but that is good. Trying to Celebrate all that God is doing in my life as well as those who I am doing life with. I got to enjoy a great college basketball game last night with some of my closest kids. I so much enjoy this time together, enjoying the crowd, dip n dots and popcorn and the smiles. Game didn't start till late but we did leave a little early so they would be able to handle tests and their regular school day and my work day. One thing we always do when we are on campus is to stop by the office - get a drink, a piece of candy and they always love enjoy checking out my office. On my desk and walls, I have lots of pictures and notes. So much to look at as my life is on display and there is no question as to where my heart is after just a minute or two. I came in this morning after a tough start, to find 2 handwritten notes on my desk. "Its going to be a happy day no matter what anyone says!" - "I Love you" with hearts and signatures. Man that just humbles me big time. It was a great reminder to Celebrate what is good in life even though there are some tough things that could drag us down and make us lose our Joy. It is so awesome to know that all I pour out - it is being poured IN somewhere. This brings me to my 2nd "C" today. "CONNECT". As a follower of Jesus were are not made to do this life alone. Being alone is a place that lets our minds and hearts wander into places that are not healthy. Sad and depresses - worst place for you is to be alone. You need to surround yourself with people who care and love you. Even if its one of those days that are tougher than normal, things are just not working out right or the kids are unhappy over something - we need to have someone in our life that can pick us up and move our spirit, attitude and outlook to a greener place. I know this is hard for some and just not possible every single day - Hey I get that. But by Connecting with others - it gives us the opportunities to change the outcome and the path we currently are on. Hey nothing like a close friend when we are feeling down right? Our Christian walk is no different. There is so much more to learn and experience when you are along side someone else who maybe has already been through what your going through and has the wisdom and the words to help us along or maybe its you who have been through some struggle and can reach out to them with the practical love of Jesus. Maybe its a great day and having someone Celebrate what God is doing in your lives is such a blessing! 2 lights shining and illuminating the dark places in this world are far better and stronger than being alone.
Romans 12:
Place Your Life Before God
1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
3I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
4-6In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.

So as we evaluate where we are today - there is reason to Celebrate and Connect. Christians should be the happiest people on the face of earth. We have each other and we know already what God has done for us. Lets team together and make this world a different place - one person, one family, one neighborhood, and one community at a time.

"Its going to be a happy day no matter what anyone says!" - Thank You!!! :)

Lonnie