Dreaming of Prince Charming

dear daughters,

You’re of the age to begin dreaming of Prince Charming, the perfect man. Or maybe you’ve been dreaming of him for some time. Or maybe you even think you’ve found him.

The only perfect man you’ll ever find is Jesus. All others fall short of God’s holiness. But God does have in mind a prince who is perfect for you. This young man will know the perfect love of Jesus so he can strive to perfectly love and adore you. God wants that for you, and I know you want that, too.

It’s important to know what you want, and what God wants for you. You get exactly what you marry, so it’s best to marry exactly what you want.

You know Daddy Jeff. He was a sports nut when I met him. Our first date was at a basketball game. Can you guess where we went last night? A Dallas Mavericks basketball game, of course! I got exactly what I married – a sports nut. But I also got just what I wanted – a God-fearing, Christ-adoring, family-loving man.

I found my perfect prince, but he is a prince only because his Father is the King of Kings. So don’t be kissing any frogs! Wait on your prince, my dear, because you are a princess!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

A Christmas Gift for God

dear daughters,

Can you believe it’s almost Christmas? Soon presents wrapped in paper and tied with bright ribbon will be shared to celebrate the greatest gift ever given – the gift of Jesus, the Savior.

When Jesus was with His disciples, He told a lot of stories. I bet you’ve had teachers who told stories to help you understand their lessons. This is what Jesus did, and in Luke 8, He begged them to pay attention to what He was saying. He told a story about a person who was planting seeds.

1. Some seeds fell by the road. These seeds never grew at all because they were trampled on and snatched away by hungry birds.

2. Some seeds fell on rocks. These seeds grew, but their roots couldn’t go down deep so they weren’t grounded. These plants couldn’t stand strong when tested, and they withered away.

3. Some seeds fell in thorns. These seeds grew also, but could only grow so much because of the crowded, prickly conditions. These plants did not grow into their full beauty.

4. Some seeds fell into healthy soil and became well-rooted. These plants bloomed, produced fruit and multiplied in number, because they were nourished and encouraged to grow.

Jesus said the seed is God’s Word. Girls, God has planted this seed in your hearts. You must protect it from being stolen, starved, or stifled. Instead, make sure it is strengthened. Your heart is God’s garden. Is His Word planted in bare, rocky or thorny ground, or is it safe and secure in healthy soil?

God has given you the gift of Jesus and the gift of His Word. This Christmas, give Him the gift of a well-tended heart. Promise to stay planted in healthy places where your faith can develop – away from threats, temptations and tensions – so that you may grow into the beautiful, fruitful creation He designed you to be.

“So (you) will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” -Isaiah 61:3

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Extreme Makeover

dear daughters,

Our brains are amazing, especially in early adulthood. Between the ages of about 16 and 24, scientists say the brain undergoes a complete renovation, like reorganizing a closet. Some things are thrown out, and what remains is reorganized so the closet makes more sense and has more storage space. If the process goes well, then the closet – or the brain – looks different and is more useful than before.

This brain renovation thing is part of God’s plan, but it puts emotions in high gear. At your age, you probably laugh a lot and cry easily, get upset frequently and fall in love quickly. You may tend to react and then reflect, rather than the other way around. This is why you see some of your friends making surprising decisions that will last a lifetime. Your brain is under construction and your emotions are supercharged. But, emotions must never rule. We are to be ruled by God’s Spirit. This renovation period is a training time for life, to teach you the value of trusting God rather than your emotions.

Knowing the Designer is doing a lot of work in you right now should excite you. He has a grand design in mind because He loves you. So tame your emotion, believe His Word and follow His Spirit. Then the redesign will be just as God intends –beautiful and right on time!

“The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

The Path of Life

dear daughters,

Aimee is already working on her spring class schedule at college. She met with an advisor to discuss her goals for graduation and develop a plan. It makes so much sense; doesn’t it? She met with an advisor who knows the system. The advisor has experience and sees the big picture. The advisor can show Aimee the path she should take.

Would you agree that life is even more important than college? Our life is a gift from God, and what we choose to do with it is our gift back to Him. God is the author of life, and He’s the only one with the big picture. He designed it. He knows how it’s meant to work better than any person could ever know.

Because God loves us, He advises us of the path we should take in life. He gives us the Bible, which outlines the way to the joyful life He wants us to have. He gives us His Holy Spirit to counsel us and help us know truth. He uses writers, teachers and preachers to help us as we learn. And He welcomes our prayers to seek His wisdom.

I pray you go to God, your great life advisor. He knows the big picture and the best plan for your life. Let Him show you the way.

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Beautiful change

dear daughters,

Fall pumpkins and cooler weather are here. The leaves are starting to turn all shades of yellow, orange and red. Every season is full of change, but this one is so obvious and beautiful! As a young woman, you are beginning to change too. You’ve experienced changes before, but most have probably been under your parents’ roof. Somehow change is easier when your address stays the same. But now is the time for big changes: college, jobs, and maybe marriage. Change is very pronounced in this season of life, like the autumn leaves.

My biggest changes happened before I was thirty. I changed colleges three times and majors four. I changed boyfriends and even husbands. I changed hometowns, houses and jobs. Some of my changes were happy, and some were not. Some were easy, and others very difficult. Some changes came from my listening to God; others came from my ignoring Him. Ten years from now, you will look back and see many changes in your life, too. I pray that you will like what you see. I believe you will, if you’ll look to God now for His help and guidance with every step you take, and every decision you make.

Take hold of God’s hand as you walk through this important season of life and don’t let go. You are a changing creature, but your Creator is always the same. Let Him guide you into the changes that will let you be all He designed you to be. He has your best life in mind, a more joyful life than you can imagine!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

dear daughters,

The school year has begun! Anki and Aimee are both in college now, and Latania is an “upper classman”! My how time flies! Each of you is in an important season of life.

I’ve been reading a book called The New Eve: Choosing God’s Best for Your Life by Robert Lewis. He talks about the seasons of life for women, even young women. I’ll share a little of it today and save the rest for later. Here are three things he suggests young single women do.

1. Envision what you want your life to look like when you are out of school and down the road about ten or fifteen years. Then figure out how to get there and take steps in that direction.

2. Pray for God’s best husband for you, and follow His leading to find that special one. Decide in advance your nonnegotiables. Know what to look for in a good man. “The best way to find a good man and keep him is to become a good woman.”

3. Develop your character by continuing to go to church, fellowship with Christian friends, and study the Bible. “Character is the ground floor of your life. Who you are will always be more important than what you do. Build your (good) character now rather than take on the harder work of rebuilding it in later seasons. The better your character, the better your life.”

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Remember the Rainbow

dear daughters,

Spring has long ago sprung, and summer has already begun. But today at my house the spring storms are still in the air.

Last night, the storms were so severe I was in the closet for twenty minutes! The tornado and fire truck sirens howled, and my dog Moo eagerly joined the alarming chorus.

The tops of several of our trees were sheared straight off. Huge limbs lay in abundance around our house in both the front and back yards. As my mother used to say about my room, “It looks like a tornado came through.” And it may have.

When the storms quieted down, Papa Jeff and I were left sitting in the dark without any electricity. So we decided to venture out in the car to see what damage had been done. Fortunately, we saw lots of standing water and broken trees, but no displaced people or broken homes. Many storms are far worse.

As we drove around, I looked at the back side of the ferocious storm that had left its mark on our yard. Surprisingly, I saw a beautiful rainbow. It occurred to me the rainbow wasn’t on the front or in the middle of the storm. It came on its heels, following behind after the intensity of the storm had passed.

In Genesis, God promised Noah he would never again destroy “all flesh” of the earth by a flood, and the rainbow was his sign of this promise. But there is an even bigger message in the rainbow. It reminds us that God is in control of every storm. It is a symbol of his power to limit a storm’s impact, to determine its magnitude and decide its end.

We all face storms and many are of another kind – life storms that move in our direction seemingly out of nowhere. Like rain storms, they are dark and scary. They are beyond our control. They can cause damage and even threaten our lives. We wonder if they will ever end.

When you experience life storms like failure, loss and heartache, I pray today you will always remember God is at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of every storm that comes your way. He is always present and always in control.

Next time you find yourself in a storm, anticipate the rainbow. It will surely come!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Lizards and Leaves

dear daughters,

The other day, Moo came running in the study and jumped up on the sofa next to me, barking her head off and hitting at my hand while I was typing. I thought she had to go outside. So I got up and walked with her in the hallway. There in front of me was this bright green lizard just staring at me. Of course I let out a blood-curdling scream!

I wasn’t going to touch him with my bare hands, so I got a big plastic cup, put a fresh green sprig inside it like bait on a fish hook, and tried to lure him. But I couldn’t tempt him for anything. He kept running away from my trap. Finally, I opened the back door and chased him that way. It worked! Outside he went!

We are a lot like that lizard. Sometimes we find ourselves in places we shouldn’t be. We go through an open door that wasn’t meant for us, and then we have this sense that we are not meant to be there. We run around not knowing what to do. There are choices in this place. There are temptations to try new things – like the cup with the fresh green leaves that look really good for eating. Or we can choose the open door of escape, to get back to where we came from, back where we belong.

This is just like life with God. When we go through the wrong door, we run around in circles; but God always gives us a way out.

This promise is in the Bible in 1Corinthians 10:13. “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

In other words, you’ll never be in a situation that others haven’t been in before. And God will never let you be in a situation you can’t get out of, because He’ll always give you a way out of your mess. He wants you living in freedom, not trapped in a plastic cup!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Fake Fruit

dear daughters,

You know that I believe God speaks to me in strange ways. Well, the other day while reading, I got so sleepy I just had to take a nap! I felt a little guilty, but when I awoke, I had to wonder if it wasn’t God who made me sleepy just so He could wake me up!

I woke up to the strangest sound. A bird had landed in my wreath on the front door, and the sound of his fluttering wings next to the glass window was startling. When I realized it was only a bird and nothing to fear, I began to watch him (or her) to see what he was doing. He was eating the berries! It might sound cute, but the berries are not real and I realized he could get really ill if he kept eating them. So I hurriedly knocked on the glass, startling him as he had startled me, and he flew away.

In that moment, I heard God say to me, “You do this. You are like that bird, so often clinging to the wrong vines, eating fake fruit rather than mine.” OMG! I didn’t want to hear that. But I knew it was true! How often I feast on the fake things of this world instead of what is real and good for me to eat!

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1). This Easter weekend, remember that because of Jesus the Son, we can have a relationship with God the Father, one that satisfies and nourishes us like nothing else can. God is tending to a garden of goodness for us to enjoy, but it is up to us to eat from the right Vine.

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Junk Food is for Junkies!

dear daughters,

While you’re walking the halls of your schools, do you realize you’re not just walking as a student, a friend, a daughter, or even a text-message-queen? You’re also walking as God’s unique creation, designed for a special life story. God wants you to live your story well, so that through you, He can tell His story of love for the world!

Daddy Jeff wanted our Bible study class to learn Joshua 1:8. It’s a long and wordy Bible verse, so here’s a momma b version for you:

Keep eating the Word of God! Make the Bible your soul food night and day! It’ll feed your mind and heart so that you’ll want to do your best to live like it says to live. And then, you’ll take steps in a positive direction and have real success!

I couldn’t have said it better myself! (Ha!) Like all Bible verses, this passage is full of TRUTH! I know. I’ve done it both ways, eating God’s Word and walking God’s way, and eating junk food and walking my own way. I promise you, God’s way is ALWAYS best. And that’s coming from someone who learned it the hard way!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Love So Deep

dear daughters,

Love is in the air! Everywhere you look there’s red and pink, cupids and hearts. It’s that time of the year!

Did you know that it’s that time of the year all year long with God? He is always in love with you. He doesn’t wait until a certain month or day to show it. He doesn’t need a reminder. His Valentine message is just waiting for you to read it every day. It’s in His book, the Bible. Love is written all across the pages of His Word. It’s His love letter to you!

But God goes beyond writing His love down. He loves you so much that He puts His love right in your heart when you ask Jesus to be your Lord. There is no other love that is like God’s love. No parent’s love. No man’s love. Only God’s love fills your heart to overflowing. All other kinds of love come up short.

Valentine’s Day is every day when your greatest love is in Jesus. I pray your love for Him grows deeper each day. His love for you is so deep it cannot even be measured! Now that’s what I call love!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Beautiful Promises, Brighter Tomorrows

dear daughters,

Do you ever feel like giving up? Like nothing you do is ever going to be good enough or amount to anything? Have you ever been in a tough situation you think you can’t survive? I sure have. But God has taught me this is no way to think! He wants us to think good thoughts, hopeful thoughts, trusting thoughts. He wants us to believe Him and what He has promised.

Trusting God during hard times is difficult. But the Bible teaches that God has everything under control. I believe He knows what choices you will make, both the good and the bad, and already has a plan to work out those choices for good. He knows that sometimes your choices lead to disappointments and even pain. And He knows that sometimes other people’s choices lead to your disappointment and pain, too. But God will use it all to help you grow and mature.

If you look at anything in nature you can see that nothing grows and becomes beautiful without some kind of struggle. And a lot of time the effort is pretty impressive. I've heard some of the most beautiful flowers live on tops of mountains amidst rocky cliffs, and they have to push through the rocks to bloom.

Now I’m not saying I’m beautiful, but I have pushed through a lot of rocks. Sometimes I wanted to give up and just survive life instead of thrive in it. I didn't think I'd amount to much or that my life would ever be enjoyable. Little did I know what God had planned for me, and how He'd turn my hard times into good.

So, hang in there. Perseverance produces beautiful character! Keep trusting God and believing His Word. Rejoice in His beautiful promises for a brighter tomorrow!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Happy New Year!

dear daughters,

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe it is 2009. Aimee turned 18 since I last wrote to you, and she’ll graduate high school this year. Latania turned 16 just a few days ago, while Anki is busy working and taking college courses. You girls are growing up so fast!

I thought of you today. I was stuck waiting someplace and had nothing to do for a few minutes, so I resorted to playing 3-card solitaire on my iphone. It occurred to me the difference one card can make. Anytime I played one card from the deck, it changed the order of the cards for the next round, revealing new cards that I couldn’t play before. Playing that one card was so important, I began to think in my head, “Just one card…Come on…Just one card!” Then it hit me...

The “just one card” effect is true in life, just like in cards. Each day we have many decisions to make in areas like school, work, family, friends, and most importantly, faith. Just one changes everything. Every move affects the outcome. What one card do you need to play to change your life and make it a winning game? I imagine God just might be cheering from heaven, “Just one card…Come on….Play it, and start your new year off right!”

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Holding Hands

dear daughters,

My how time flies during the Christmas season! It seems like just yesterday the leaves started to fall. But yesterday it was only freezing drizzle and sleet that fell around here!

Speaking of falling, do you ever feel like that TV commercial, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up?” I do. Sometimes we fall down on our jobs, our responsibilities, our loyalties, and our God. We fail. Yes, WE do. Everyone fails, and way more than once. But God knows that, and He sent His son to earth to pay the penalty for all our falling down in failure. He did this so we could be in His perfect, holy presence forever and ever.

When we really believe in our heart of hearts that this is true and we bow to the Almighty God who loved us so much to do this for us, then He sees us as righteous, even though we still may fall from time to time. But here’s His wonderful promise to His righteous sons and daughters, “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. When he falls, (did you catch that? WHEN he falls…not IF…) he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand” (Psalm 37:23-24).

Do you know what this promise means for the believer in Jesus? It means that we can always get up! No matter how you have fallen down in failure, God has a hold of your hand if you have put your hand in His as your personal Lord and Savior. God will help you up with His own strong and mighty hand every time you fall!

God says in Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

We girls like to hold hands, but the best hand we can ever hold is the hand of our loving God. Hang on to His hand, girls, and don’t ever let go!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Some Very Convincing Evidence

dear daughters,

Today is a gorgeous fall day! But I still think autumn in New England trumps Texas every time! There are so many beautiful places in our world. Sandy beaches, majestic mountains, massive canyons, cool rivers, rolling hills and expansive oceans. Our earth is fascinating!

Scientists will attempt to explain how and why it is the way it is, but the Bible tells the most important point. In Romans 1:20 it says that God has made Himself real to us through His creation since the beginning of the world. (momma b’s version) The power of the oceans never ceases. The tides have always come in and gone out daily, and there is nothing man can do to stop them, just as man can do nothing to stop the awesome power of God! The beautiful landscape of the earth is marvelous to behold. Its many different and glorious features illustrate the diversity and creativity of God, and show us a glimpse of His majesty!

Your friends who do not know or maybe even believe in God may question your faith along the way. Those times can seem awkward, especially if struggling for words to say. I hope you’ll remember the truth of Romans 1:20, and share it with them! Point them to the awesome evidence of God, right in their own backyard!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Picture Perfect

dear daughters,

Pictures are worth a thousand words! This is an old saying, and I believe a very true saying. What we see is many times easier to remember than what we hear. We often return to the “picture” of words written down when we cannot remember words spoken out loud. What would we do without class notes and study sheets!

I guess that’s one reason reading the Bible has become so important to me. It’s a “picture” of the words of God. It’s a reminder of all He says to do, and all He promises to do for His children.

This past week, my mother has been in the hospital. She has cancer. It’s hard to even write that, as it’s a picture of a reality that I don’t like at all. Sometimes in life there are unhappy things that happen to us and to those we love, and no one knows why. They’re not anyone’s fault. They’re just part of living in an imperfect human body in an imperfect human world.

But God gave me a beautiful picture this week. When we are at our lowest, for whatever reason, God is ALWAYS there with us. He kneels down beside us, and even lifts up our faces to Him with His very own holy hands. And He looks on us with love – pure love, perfect love. He is there to hold us, to grow us, to change us, to renew us, to guide us and to strengthen us. The Bible describes God as a mighty and victorious warrior, but also as our own Father. The perfect Father, the perfect protector, and the perfect friend, looking down with love from a perfect heaven. What a perfect picture!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

News Flash!

dear daughters,

Do you like roller coasters? I do. I remember riding one at Six Flags when I was in high school seven times in a row. It would have been eight if I hadn’t gotten sick! I love the thrill of going up and down. But going up and down in life is not always fun.

Sometimes we feel we are on top of the world, that we can conquer anything, and that everything is going our way. Other times we feel like we are down in a valley, or even a pit, and may wonder how, when or if we will ever get out.

I read Psalm 23 the other day for the umpteenth time. You know the one, “The Lord is my Shepherd….” We hear it most often at funerals. But its message is more about life than death! It says this, “Even though I walk through the valley…Thou art with me.” It says a bunch more, but I encourage you to go read it for yourself. God knows that we live in a world that is darkened by despair, destruction, disease and death. But He promises us that as we walk through life, even through the valleys and pits along the way, He is with us. He promises to comfort us, to guide us, to provide for us and to protect us. Is that good news, or what?!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

Busy as a Bee!

dear daughters,

Busyness! Do you ever feel so busy you can hardly see straight? That’s how I’ve felt recently. Aimee and I feel like we’ve traveled the country in the last two weeks as we’ve visited two colleges AND driven to an out-of-town swim meet. Meanwhile there’s a house to run and a list a mile long!

I know Aimee has much on her “to do” list; and I bet you do, too. Being busy is really ok with God, providing we are busy doing what He wants us to be doing. He created us to work and worship, not sleep and slouch on the couch! But sometimes we get busy doing things that are not His desire for us. We get busy with video games, TV shows, meaningless texting, mindless web surfing, and just plain wasting time. God wants us to be busy about His work and the work He has designed for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

God has a “to do” list already written for our days, and none of our lists are exactly the same. We are all different, born in different circumstances, living in different situations and holding different gifts. He gives us choices as to what to do with our days, but He has specific things He desires us to choose to do with our uniqueness to bring honor to Him. When we choose the activities He has designed for us to do, we may be busy but we will be BLESSED!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

A Heart's Holiday

dear daughters,

What a beautiful holiday weekend I just enjoyed, vacationing in New England! The beauty of the fall is a wonderful reminder of the creativity of our God, and the control He has of our world. Autumn always comes, year after year, according to His plan. Now, maybe there’s not as much fall color in Texas as there is in Massachusetts or Maine; but nevertheless, the seasons come and the seasons go year after year just as He ordains.

Knowing God is in control is a comfort in times of crisis. Right now, our country is in the middle of a lot of change and concern. There is a close presidential race underway. There is a rollercoaster stock market making news every day, causing everyone to question their economic future. You surely have your own personal crises going on, your own changes and concerns. But when we know, really believe, that God is in control, then we can trust Him and rest in the comfort our faith brings.

Today I was reading in Psalms 118, and I was blessed by the first half of verse 6. “The Lord is for me, I will not fear.” It doesn’t ask if the Lord is for me. It doesn’t say the Lord is sometimes for me. It just states that He is, all the time. And when I know, really know and believe that He is for me then fear will not take hold of me.

God has everything in His control, and He is for me and my best interests. He is for you and your best interests, too! When we remind ourselves of this truth, our hearts have rest and peace. Now that’s a vacation!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b

God is Faithful

dear daughters,

Girl, do I have some good news for you today! God is faithful! My friend Jenny often says, “God is faithful. It’s His character to be faithful, it’s who He is, and He doesn’t change. He is always faithful.” She said her mom often told her, so I want to tell my girls, too. It’s true! The Bible tells us many times that our God is faithful, true and trustworthy. What He says, He means. What He promises, He provides.

And one thing He provides us is a way out of trouble. There are many times when we are walking along the path of life, and we get distracted by something that looks fun, even though we know deep down it isn’t God’s best for us. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says there is nothing God has allowed in our path that He doesn’t know about and that He can’t get us out of, if we will look to Him for help. God is always true to His Word, so we can count on Him to faithfully provide a way out of the messes we sometimes make for ourselves. And not only does God show us the way out, He promises to walk with us on the way out. Sometimes we know how to get out of trouble, but the way out looks just as hard or harder than the way in. Sometimes the way out includes walking through tough consequences, requiring courage and endurance we don't have. God promises to help and strengthen us if we will just look to Him and trust Him at His Word.

God is faithful. He has always been faithful. And faithful will He always be. Trust Him today and every day!

living to love, loving to live,
momma b