Riding the Light Rails of Summer

Where have I been all week? Watching God work. I am totally distracted by Him and it is a wonderful feeling. It is like walking on a soft lawn just after it has been mowed...with no shoes! Or like toes being covered in sand as the waves caress them. Or finding a cool puddle of water after a quick thunder storm barefoot!

Amidst that feeling internally...externally Miss To-Do List says, "You have three writing assignments in your heart that have not yet made it to paper. Better hurry." Then, "That manuscript needs to be finished and sent for editing to pursue that speaking opportunity. You told her your goal was 3 days ago!" And not to mention, "Get Monday's Bible Study done, hope it ROCKS!"

And, I want to share how I have been seeing Him work with that! It has been my distinct pleasure to lead a teen Bible Study on Monday nights this summer looking at Lies Young Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Dannah Gresh.

Let me just brag on "my girls" a little...
- They are beautiful. No doubt!
- They are reading the assignments each week. Praise the Lord!
- They are believing Truth. Hallelujah!

The best thing I love about them is that they are authentic. They are eager to know God. I mean, they are giving up every Monday night this summer! They want to pursue Him with their questions and thoughts in journals. Even though they don't always readily share them [Smile & a Wink]. They are spending time with Him while reading His Word. There was even chocolate last week for the first time!

I don't know about your "Wonder Years" but my adolescence had a fair share of complications: braces (plus the headgear), divorced parents, school transfers, a cast & crutches, fashion fumbles (where did all the neon and big hair go?), and I lost count of the crushes. I could go on and on. My point is that these girls might be traveling down similar tracks, but they are focusing on the Light! Years later, are we?! Too many times, we think we know where we are headed, or at least where we want to go, but do we? Jagged situations, beams of obstacles, and rails of limitations join us along the way. However, I see "my girls" steaming full speed ahead as summer sun slips into the fall of school with new direction on a light rail...huge capacity to quickly avert lies for the frequent destination of Truth. My heart is overjoyed to be traveling with them. Really! Honestly! Truly!

When you can travel along that kind of path in middle school, high school, or life's school and can STILL be barefoot (vulnerable and honest) with God and friends, it is a journey of challenge, change, and choice. The Truth is, even if we don't know exactly where we are headed, seeking His Light on our face and in our lives needs one direction...toward Him, no stops!

With just four more chapters to go, we press on to look at Chapter 11 Monday entitled, Lies about Media. Katie Couric, Ann Curry, and Oprah, too, I got news for you! God has a TRUE LIFE story for each one of these girls! Their story is His story and He is in the process of writing it. Filled with LOVE, HOPE, GRACE, JOY, and most of all TRUTH, one day they will share it long after their journal has been stored. Some of us will join them making headlines, being on billboards, or airing through the newest technology...but as they know, the real truth is, God wants to see ALL of our names in LIGHT!

Let's run, jump, and kick up our heels the Son has not set, He is alive! I am excited! They are excited! HE is excited! Rejoice, and again I say, REJOICE!

"But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light,

so that it may be seen plainly

that what he has done

has been done through God." John 3:21

*A special thank you to my new girlfriend, a rising sophomore from Bible Study, who not only shared her true life summer photos with me above, but inspired me to write one of the three stories on my heart. Girl! I hope you see your beauty in this as well as in God's Word. Hugs!

Debut

After looking up the word "debut" I am going to pick definition #3...

Debut. D-E-B-U-T. Debut. A noun referring to a formal introduction (of a young woman) and entrance into society, as at an annual ball.

Well ya'll (as we say down here in Virginia), I'm a havin' a BALL!

Announcing the newest published author in cyberspace today......with a devotional about God and a goose that you can gander at right here!

With this most recent journey ironically taking flight in "Grand Rapids," Michigan, it was just 11 days ago that I "hit" it off with a great group of women!

Partnering with Circle of Friends and the dynamic things they are doing in the name of the Lord for women in Ohio and beyond leave me humbled. I met this team of authentic women at Speak Up with Confidence 2010. Their love of God's Word, commitment for growth, and highly favored ministry wrap me in good company.

To my new Circle of Friends, thank you for the opportunity to share my gifts and providing all the praise and passion in my head and heart a "place to belong" and means to express with others how we can see God in the everyday, in every way, and even when you "hit a goose" so to say!

Humbled, Grateful, and Honored (in that order),
April, NEW on-line author

Whale of A Tale!

Many of you know that I have been trying to keep things afloat for a couple of months now (speaking, writing, teaching, mentoring...of yeah, I'm a wife and mother, too). As my "rapidly" new friend Cindy says, I have even had to "say no to the good things to say yes to God's best." God has so richly blessed this season of my life, I even described it as Spring! So yesterday, I declared that today would be "NEW!" I even posted on Facebook for some on-line self accountability that I would establish a new "summer routine," if that is not an oxymoron!

So with the 4th of July at my back, the freedom of being on holiday is over! God has so much in store for me to not take care of myself with late night projects, quick lunches, and bottomless cups of coffee.

Today was met with early morning curled hair (Praise the Lord- that is a sign of soaring, not just floating! Amen?!), printing a beach lapbook for Jeremiah, a huge mega check-out at the local library of beach (and pirate) books, a grocery store run for surf and turf for grilling tonight...are you starting to see my theme for July?! I like that type of routine so much better than my son waking up before me, "just coffee please!" breakfast, and a lengthy debate concerning my hair...shower or ponytail?!...during a.m. cartoons. Laughing?! I know that is not foreign to all of you!

As the morning routine brought me to my favorite quality time before nap, Jeremiah picks this as his first newly borrowed beach library book...
First, let me explain. My son as only two requests as we plan his first trip to the ocean at the end of the month: "Momma, I want to see a pirate ship and a WHALE!" Are you kidding me?! What happened to sea shells and sand castles?! I'll even throw in a new bucket and shovel, little one! Gotta love a son who has high personal aspirations, right?! Ship (boat, maybe) I can handle. Whale?...go ask Dad!

Naturally, with that in mind, this displayed book (thank you public librarian!) was tackled as my son climbed the shelves to reach his goal. He fanned the pages on the carpet right between my feet as Momma looked for others on "The List" and met her alphabet challenges head on! Why is that so hard sometimes?! With lunch's grilled cheese still in the corners of his mouth, he was ready for his "whale of a tale" naptime story. I opened the never before read book to meet, in a beautiful font, with a blue heron soaring at the top of the page.

Yes, I snapped a picture of it! Are you kidding? I felt God speak right to me while reading my son a nap time story! Could it have been any more clear?! Each page, organized by days of the week, reminds us what to rejoice over, be thankful for, and praise God about - just as Creation does. One line at the end of the "Easy Reader" mentioned the orca whales "spaying their praise." So beautiful!

Friends, I don't think it is about routinely staying afloat. Do you? Where is the excitement in that? Even that can feel stagnant. Joy and life are about intentionally raving God with "sprays of praise." Wouldn't you agree? I am praising God for the "Beach Month" that has begun in our home and in my heart. New day #1 - beach homeschooling lessons, beach library books, beach dinner on our deck, and a grateful momma whose Dad DID show her a whale today!

Father, Creator, Sustainer, I rejoice in this day that you have declared as "new." Forgive me for focusing on floating instead of flourishing. I stand barefoot on the Rock, ready for You to wash over me with waves of Your love, mercy, peace, grace, and faithfulness. I will daily delight my heart in casting praise in all areas of my life only to reel in Truth. Thank you for this small book with a whale of a lesson for me...and at the hands of my son...oh how you know what is possible from that! Amen.