Good morning, DearOne,

In one of her poems, author Mary Oliver brazenly asks, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

If you’re afraid you’ve come to this question too late, you are wrong. Ask your God-trusting self. Because, this is your reality: the world is re-created in every second of time, and this moment is always your life’s beginning.

I doesn’t matter how many years have been stolen from you …

by your own ignorance,

by cruel fate,

by the acts of others,

by poor choices,

you have a clean, broad slate before you.

And, your Creator wouldn’t place you here if it was not in His plan for you. He will never leave you or forsake you. In this instant—this one now—you can begin steering by the hand of the Almighty, and if you do, the rest of creation will conspire on your behalf … God Most High has appointed an army of angels to guide, teach, and help wild and precious you. Engage your Creator.

“Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin. These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Rock.”

Psalm 19:11-14 MSG

Wake up.

Start new, Wild and Precious One.

Go.

Good morning, Loves.

Well. We’ve washed Luke’s last Ft Cobb Broxton #3 jersey and have pressed the royal blue graduation gown…this manchild that has brought a certain, original spark into our home.

I’ve shouted my last Mustang, “here we go, Lukas” at the ballfield that truly has been our second home for the past 15 years.

I’m a crier. That’s my norm. My guys know I don’t even have to have a reason. And, I keep wondering why I’m not weeping because sentiment usually takes center stage in my heart…mostly, I think it has to do with just being so gosh-darn-crazy-grateful. The Weaver’s asked me last night how I was holding up, I told them surprisingly well; it helps that I’ve learned from Levi and Bryan that they really can do life on their own!

That, and being deeply thankful that God chose Luke for Himself & chose to share him with us.

I’m thankful that Luke is

fire,

and light,

and fun,

and independent,

and practical,

and runs on common sense,

and is fueled by the challenge of figuring things out for himself.

I’m praying that as he goes about higher learning, and work … and healthy ways, and day to day living, he will be filled with the fullness of God … because, really … this is the highest prayer a mom can ask for her child. I’m thankful for the gift of him.

“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.”

Proverbs 2:1-11 NLT

Wake up.

Graduate.

Open new doors.

Go.

Good morning, God’s Child.

Tomorrow is graduation.

I’ll be getting a new bible.

This one’s going to Luke. The one before went to Bryan. The one before that to Levi. It has been an honor to share my thoughts on scriptures with my sons through journaling in the margins.

This one has been with me the past 4 years … through the most difficult, most painful, and the most joyous years of my life so far … consistently delivering the fresh Voice of God Almighty. My prayer is for this to be the first place my Luke lands daily knowing that as long as he seeks Him consistently with his whole heart, then whatever ‘next decision’ he must make through his days … well, it will be the right one.

‘“For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 HCSB

Wake up.

Seek Him. Consistently.

Go.

Our mom is our landing place.

She is light. She brings light.

God placed her with us to guide us. He filled her with the best parts of His compassion and instruction and fuel for her to give away. And, she does. When Steve, Russ, or I begin to quiver from just the stuff life deals – she’s where we go. Continual bits of wisdom…and finding our missing pieces and filling the holes. She hugs. Slowly and firmly with thankfulness and deep care like she has all the time in the world … because for us, she does. Being in the gaze of her eyes is like having the entire Milky Way grinning down on us. She reminds us who Christ says we are. She knows because, like us, she is scarred and it has heightened her compassion, made her even more radiant. She reminds us that “everything will be better in the morning”, and it always is. She is so tender that she applies instruction like little sparks with expectation that her fuel will start the fire. Because she is the fire.

She reminds us of simple truths like … when people are rude to us – don’t take it personal, it reveals who they are not who we are. Never is life so clear as when in her presence – so clearly loved. Her acceptance is intoxicating. She lives out unconditional love, tells us and her grands with calm certainty that love is the shortest distance between you and me, and that there are no shortcuts through the grill of life … and, we are growing through it. She has bled from making bad decisions of her own, had her self esteem trampled into the mud from unguarded boundaries being violated and she had bled out for us – because that’s what you do when people you love get sliced through the heart … you give them your blood-life … here, babe, take mine … it is fresh and warm … I have lots, I’ll just go back beneath the cross and get more. Few of us have ever seen her so pale from the endless supplies of compassion she gives, and those of us who have will never speak of that beauty to anyone else. She knows when we are ready for her words, we are really ready. And, she holds the light for our readiness because she knows the sweetness of the time being just right.

Thank you, Momma.

“If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.”

1 Corinthians 13:3-10 MSG

‘Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.’ (Job 23:10 HCSB)

Good morning, BraveSoul,

The way God shows up continually blows my mind. I see Him in breakthrough moments of my son’s lives and am reminded that life unfolds in proportion to your bravery. It also unfolds in the most unexpected ways. God is clever like that. The Master Marksman hits the bullseye every single time. He’s in control of the sweeping current we think we are in.

He’s got a plan.

It’s ok to be scared.

When you’re totally scared, it simply means you are really, really ready. There’s no longer a need to be tied to the emotions of the hurt place, there is no rope around an ankle stretching from way back there to right up here. God gives the green light, and just like that,

you are free to go.

Move on.

Carry on.

You are free to make your heart right in His peace.

He provides His courage to move where your courage is solid gone. He opens His fresh start on your new “Once upon a time” life story. He has been working in you all along to take you on from this day forward.

Wake up.

You are ready.

I dare you to move.

Go.

“11 At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. 12 So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! 13 Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!” Hebrews 12:11-13 MSG

Good morning, DearHeart.

We live in an imperfect world, don’t we?

Problems.

Disease.

Injury.

Fear.

All are much deeper than nursery rhymes and yo-yos. They come with darkness and negativity and are begging to be dealt with.

They scream of wrongfulness.

They scream to cast you into the gutter thought life of “I am not good enough”.

Will you refuse to fall into victimhood if your payoff doesn’t come in this lifetime? Will you still trust the God Who Loves You if every dream doesn’t come true?

If your lover leaves?

If you’re falsely accused?

If the diagnosis is dark?

If your child strays?

If your boss labels you as worthless?

If you are shoved through the eye of a needle … stripped, pared down to nothing, naked and left with only pith and the power of your faith … then, will the power of your faith be enough?

Refuse to sit around on your hands no matter what obstacle comes. Fall into the arms of the army of angels assigned to you; they have your back so you can fight with force alongside them.

Prepare to slay.

Deliberately choose to fill every single thought and every single action with Light-fuel.

That is discipline.

That is the real work – choosing to keep your balance on the high wire…laser beam focus on the deep joy of being held by the Holy Spirit.

Rise, Power.

Rise.

Wake up.

Fight for your joy.

Go.

Good morning, Beloved.

God’s timing … His ways … the way we ask with a process in mind for how we will get to the victory … then, He delivers from a direction we never saw coming – a better direction, a way, way, far better, better than my limited thoughts could even begin to think up … well, His ways blow me away.

What are you asking of Him today? What cadre of players and circumstances will be involved? Allow God Most High to narrow your focus, DearOne. Allow Him to build your focus energy toward a target.

Your Creator is waiting on you to ask – to click the order button … to enter in and engage Him and His energy. He is the SUPERPOWER of your

BRAINPOWER

ENDURANCE POWER

DREAM POWER

WILL POWER

PHYSICAL POWER

All of it. And, He delivers what you can handle.

Are you really ready to see Him move in your life?

He’s waiting on

your praise,

your worship,

your surrender,

And, He waits to hear you place your request.

Wake up.

Enter, praise, request.

Go.