The Fish Tank

I am a horrible selfie picture taker. I feel awkward and end up looking like a weirdo. The only time I really like pictures of myself is when I am with my boys or my husband. All these selfies got me thinking. We all want to look and present ourselves a specific way using the perfect angle, editing tools, and filters. Rarely is that selfie in original form before we post it. "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14 We are WONDERFULLY made and, according to Scripture, we should know that "full well." I don't think we know how wonderful we are made. If we did, we wouldn't need to post edited pictures of ourselves, which, in reality, are to make ourselves feel pretty, good about ourselves, and wonderful. Because of the overwhelming impact of social others lives online filtering through their pictures, statuses, and comments creating this extravagant story of their lives which is...

As I drove past our little fire station in my small town the flag was at half mast...again. Again. How on earth was there another tragedy that was so atrocious that our flags were lowered once again? I feel like everywhere we turn tragedy lurks: another school shooting, child taken, soldier fallen, government up in arms, battle to fight. Oh, how easy it is to get caught up in this. We live in tumultuous times. But, just because our world is chaos does not mean we do not have victory. This past year, I witnessed a good friend journey through turmoil. I watched the valleys, mountain-tops, tears, battles, and now, victory. As we chatted last time we met she said something that I cannot shake. She said, "I almost feel bad about being happy; finding joy in my victory. She knew it was crazy but she was honest and real and vulnerable and I appreciated that. I got it; I understood. "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord." Proverbs 21:3...

"Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand." Matthew 12:25 I NEVER talk about politics. Religion? I will go there, but for some reason I steer clear of anything political. Politics stirs so much up inside people and it gets ugly. We turn off our ears and stop listening to one another. We fight for democracy but really want everyone to believe and follow our ways...I mean, our ways are the right ways, right??? I've been stewing over the political feeds I read whether from the media, "trusted" news sources, and friends and one thought keeps flowing through my mind, " I am SO thankful that I know and understand that I really don't answer to this man-made government. I answer to God." I am not saying that I betroth everything our government does or says and live in some bunker somewhere. Not at all. I respect the authority our government holds an...