tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11211269764988116742024-03-13T09:39:21.900-04:00Love Always, ShyLove is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-65306281213739808062021-02-10T20:32:00.002-05:002021-02-10T20:32:43.766-05:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iu-nmQ-_HCk/YCSIWLXqQFI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/Orxtw7hrXAs1iGCUc3cdwGPSQ-UWpsRPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s807/IMG_6742%2Bb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="807" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iu-nmQ-_HCk/YCSIWLXqQFI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/Orxtw7hrXAs1iGCUc3cdwGPSQ-UWpsRPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_6742%2Bb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #ff00fe;">Please visit my new website for updated posts.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #ff00fe;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">https://lovealwaysshy.com/</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Thank you!</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Shy</b></div></b></span></h2><p></p>Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-91308315767453911162020-03-03T10:10:00.001-05:002020-03-03T10:10:28.925-05:00Let's Celebrate!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pj51Ehhufqk/Xl5vIjD-w3I/AAAAAAAAA5A/V_f_lF2WL4sYyiUGq4zkHshF_2aLMp-NgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_4338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="738" height="251" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pj51Ehhufqk/Xl5vIjD-w3I/AAAAAAAAA5A/V_f_lF2WL4sYyiUGq4zkHshF_2aLMp-NgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_4338.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you'll be in the L.A. area on Saturday, March 7th, we'd love for you to celebrate with us!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Join us at VCC's 12th-anniversary luncheon and hear my </span><span style="color: purple; line-height: 115%;">incredible story
of amazing grace, unfailing love, and undeniable
miracles. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Get your tickets today at </span><a href="http://valenciachristiancenter.org/tickets/">http://valenciachristiancenter.org/tickets/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Love Always,</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span></span></div>
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Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-69549292603337430572020-02-26T05:08:00.001-05:002020-02-26T05:08:12.162-05:00Fruitful Inheritance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IMf-DirARLc/XlVpqH7I2TI/AAAAAAAAA4k/Osso2CG9VnokEigN3Q2hZb-CDYOs_EtwACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_4336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IMf-DirARLc/XlVpqH7I2TI/AAAAAAAAA4k/Osso2CG9VnokEigN3Q2hZb-CDYOs_EtwACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_4336.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman", serif;">I once heard a pastor
say that we should live each day according to the story we want to be told
about us in the end.</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"> </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman", serif;">Live each day as if
you’re writing a page in your story.</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"> </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman", serif;">A
story that you would be proud of.</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"> </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman", serif;">A
story that would reflect God’s hand in the writing.</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"> </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman", serif;">A story that would bring a smile to the face
of your loved ones as they retell it.</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Recently, my family
suffered a huge loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A loss that left
an undeniable hole in the very fabric of our family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My brother, Jim, was such a huge, loving
presence in my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was
touched by his life in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
heart was so full of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His kindness
was so sincere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His encouragement was
certainly motivating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And his laugh was
contagiously joyous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we grieved over
the loss of our beloved, I couldn’t help but remember the saying “What story do
you want to be told?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was as if my
brother lived in such a way that would bring honor to God as his story would
later be told.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was as if he
consciously wrote a page each day that would ultimately weave together a story
that was indeed written by a pen in the hand of God.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">In John 15:5, Jesus said,
“I am the vine; you are the branches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was obvious to those who knew Jim that he
was connected to the vine, because of the fruit he bore - love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
(Galatians 5:22-25).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To have known Jim,
was to bear witness of the fruit of the spirit. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Although he has
physically left us, we can rejoice over the inheritance we are left with - a
legacy of a fruitful spirit inspired by a beautiful heart wrapped in dignity
and love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story he told with his
life was a true reflection of Jesus’s commandment to love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With this in mind, we rejoice in knowing that
he is now forever connected to the vine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And as we remember him, we are reminded to live a life with this
question in mind - “What story do you want to be told?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>James Thurman
Saunders, we celebrate you and give thanks for the fruitful inheritance you
have left us with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a wonderful
inheritance it is.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Instagram: Love
Always, Shy (@lovealwaysshy) • Instagram photos and videos<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-31103867412298770292020-01-09T05:44:00.000-05:002020-01-09T05:44:01.774-05:00We won!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g7xm-T24uyA/XhYEGugN7DI/AAAAAAAAA30/dsptkQXmlSIiw1j6yIKvU0d6E-EG4QE4ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_2825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1364" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g7xm-T24uyA/XhYEGugN7DI/AAAAAAAAA30/dsptkQXmlSIiw1j6yIKvU0d6E-EG4QE4ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_2825.jpg" width="340" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">My son, Eman, was such a busy body of a little
boy. Before his arrival in my life, my days were pretty
predictable. My daughter was pretty easy in the sense that she was happy
doing whatever I was doing, yet she also knew how to quietly entertain herself as the only child.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Well, in 2001, all that changed. Eman
arrived and decided to shake things up. In spite of him having chronic
asthma, he was a rough, daredevil, little boy. From jumping off the
top bunk of the bed landing his chin on the dresser on the way down (ouch!) to
running with scissors and barely missing his eye when he fell with them.
We were in the emergency room on a regular basis. My life was never the
same.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">One day, in his usual 5-year-old
"superhero" fashion, he snuck up on our dog and pulled his
tail. The dog was startled and turned around and snapped at him causing a long, bloody cut on Eman's cheek. Thank goodness he didn't need stitches (this would
have been the third time he'd had stitches on his face), but it was still a nasty
cut. Eman was quite upset and shocked by Elmo's response. So to
make him feel better, I decided to take him to dinner at a hibachi restaurant
that evening. What was I thinking exposing others at the table to his
face? There was a lady sitting at our table with her three small children
and I happened to notice her little girl snuggling up next to her
mother with a frightened look on her face while pointing and whispering,
"Look at his face." Her mother smiled politely and assured her
daughter that it was okay.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Seeing and hearing this, I decided to change
the atmosphere of the table. So I looked at the daughter with the most
convincing look on my face and said, "He got into a fight with a tiger, and
you should see what the tiger's face looks like." The little girl’s eyes widened as her siblings perked up to listen as I explained how my son had won a fight with a tiger and how the tiger was in much worse shape. And just like that,
Eman became the hero at the table and it was an honor for the other kids to be
sitting with such a victorious warrior.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">That story pretty much sums up how I stepped
into the new year - scars, bumps, bruises, aches, and pains, but you should see
the scars of the enemy that I fought to get here! I learned that it's not
about the enemy you're fighting, but about the army that's fighting on your
side. Some battles are tough and some scars are evident, but thank God
for (1) fighting our battles, (2) extending His unfailing grace, and (3) offering us a chance to
begin again! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Thank you Jesus, we won! May your 2020 be filled with
many more victories. Happy New Year!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways. Psalms 91</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><b>Love Always,<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><b>Shy</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/" target="_blank">Love Always,
Shy (@lovealwaysshy) • Instagram photos and videos</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-87417006969987786642019-12-18T06:43:00.000-05:002019-12-18T06:43:16.025-05:00Blessings Unaware<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J396ulPb3fU/Xfk4JuafMhI/AAAAAAAAA3M/3IzCoL6gDFAAJ3H4PxvmrZhHpRnRIxztQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_2482_Facetune_17-12-2019-15-17-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1239" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J396ulPb3fU/Xfk4JuafMhI/AAAAAAAAA3M/3IzCoL6gDFAAJ3H4PxvmrZhHpRnRIxztQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_2482_Facetune_17-12-2019-15-17-33.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">As
the year begins winding down, most of us start reconciling our goals set at
the beginning of the year with how things actually turned out. It’s a time to give thanks for the things
that exceeded our expectations while learning from the things that didn’t quite
pan out like we thought they would.
Sometimes there are things that we had no idea God even did for us
because we were so oblivious to His hand in our lives at those particular
moments.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">So
as I was having a reflective moment, I thought of something I’d experienced and
chuckled to myself. It was towards the
end of my third stay in the hospital when the nurse came in to change my linen and my
gown as usual. I’d been wearing a yellow
gown for the past several days, but this time when she changed my gown, she
changed me into a blue gown. The next
day when she came to change my gown again, I very innocently asked, “May I have
another yellow gown? I like the bright
yellow color better.” She replied, “Do
you feel like you’re going to fall when you stand up?” Confused, I replied, “No.” Then she said, “The yellow gown is for
patients who are at risk of falling. It
alerts the nurses to keep a special eye on you if you get out of the bed, and
someone will always walk with you, even though you have a walker.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Wow! I had no idea the color of my gown signified
if I was at risk of falling or not. I
was also completely oblivious to the fact that God had strengthened me beyond “yellow gown status” to “blue gown status”.
He can be so subtle in walking with us, that we don’t even know when He
changed our status, we just look up one day and realize He did!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">This
situation made me examine other areas of my life where God had strengthened my
walk. As I began to look closely, I saw
so many situations in my life where God has moved me from the “yellow gown” to
the ”blue gown” without me even recognizing the moment it happened. He saw the signs in various areas of my life
where I was at risk of falling and He patiently walked with me to keep me safe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">As we reflect on this year alone, consider the countless risks God has walked through with us, keeping us from falling. Consider the many blessings He has given
us while we were completely unaware of the shift along the way. The fact of the matter is, He never leaves
us. So as we come to a close of this year
and enter into a new one, walk with assurance that He is there to keep us in
all our ways. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>He
is to able to keep you from stumbling. Jude 1:24(a)</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Have
a blessed 2020!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love
Always,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Instagram: </span><o:p></o:p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/?hl=en">https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/?hl=en</a></span></div>
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<br />Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-88482986599762163232019-11-14T08:21:00.000-05:002019-11-14T08:21:08.873-05:00My New Birthday!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9fKlssWRq8/Xc1Nzela-1I/AAAAAAAAA2k/Fi5hm5iSx2cn92jEKSW1EDORieLNzjB-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_2918_Facetune_14-11-2019-07-49-43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="963" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9fKlssWRq8/Xc1Nzela-1I/AAAAAAAAA2k/Fi5hm5iSx2cn92jEKSW1EDORieLNzjB-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_2918_Facetune_14-11-2019-07-49-43.jpg" width="343" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">This morning was not
like any other morning. As I opened my eyes, I was overwhelmed with
gratitude. Not the regular "thank you" gratitude, but the “speechless,
eyes full of tears” gratitude as I reflected on this time last year. This
time last year, I lay in a hospital bed, barely able to move or walk as the
nurses rolled me back and forth to change my clothes, and as I lay there,
I could feel life leaving my body. My son sat next to my bed not knowing
what was happening to his mom. In fact, a few days earlier, he'd sat
quietly on the foot of my bed at home and asked, "Mom, are you
dying?"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Thankfully, he'd driven
me to the emergency room on this particular evening. In that moment, I
didn't have the capacity to have fear or to think any "why me"
thoughts. I was only able to cling to my faith and trust that God was in
control. The only thing I remember was apologizing to the nurses over and
over for having to take care of me with no help from my own strength. They were loving, gracious angels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Shortly after having a
CT scan, the doctor entered my room and stated very matter-of-factly that she'd
need to do a major surgery NOW. I could sense the urgency in the matter
as I was already in the process of receiving a blood transfusion. But
even at that moment, I asked if she could give me a moment to pray. She
paused and left the room for a few minutes. When she returned, I had
accepted God’s healing by way of this surgery but had one question to really understand the intensity behind her recommendation - "If
I were your sister, what would you tell me to do?" She replied,
"I would tell you to head to O.R. right now." I replied,
"Okay. Let's go."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
in God’s hands.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Approximately, 6 hours
later I was grateful to awaken in ICU with breath in my body. Lots of tubes and
beeps were happening around me, but gratitude and grace filled the room larger
than anything else. After being in the hospital for a week, I was able to
go home the evening before Thanksgiving and today I am reminded of the first
evening home. It was surreal, like a dream. I remember as I was
sleeping on the sofa (I was unable to climb the stairs to my bedroom, so I
slept on the sofa for a couple of weeks.), I opened my eyes at 2:00 a.m. and
just looked around the room giving thanks to God that I was actually on the other
side of a miracle. I lay there, unable to get up, but feeling so safe in
His arms as He carried me through the days and weeks to come.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">The next few weeks were
filled with family coming into town to take turns taking care of me, along with
home nurses and physical therapists. And, as you can imagine, the
gratitude on that Thanksgiving was immeasurable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surrounded by loving angels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">So today, as I awoke,
the regular gratitude was superseded by gratitude that can't even be
described. I have named November 14th as my new birthday and every day
Thanksgiving. Yes, I was born on February 3rd, but on November 14, 2018,
God rewrote my ending and gave me a new beginning. It was hard to imagine
the girl laying in the hospital being able to live the life I'm gifted with
today, but I can hear the voice of the Lord saying, <i>"Daughter, your faith
has healed you." (Mark 5:34)</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">As a result of my past,
I now see and hear everything so differently in my new life. I take
everything that Jesus did personally. His body was broken just for
me. His blood was shed just for me. His amazing grace was extended directly
to me. His unfailing love was given just for me. I am grateful for
all that He's done for me. Today, I celebrate life...more abundantly!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><i><span style="color: purple;">Love Always,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-67104095669527035062019-10-09T08:23:00.001-04:002019-10-09T08:23:02.380-04:00Runaway Spirit<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02AEGXHkzvE/XZ3O44N1SbI/AAAAAAAAA1g/gmlFudw5wsII54gmfKIZAxHtQhl-ndXHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Elmo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="682" height="390" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02AEGXHkzvE/XZ3O44N1SbI/AAAAAAAAA1g/gmlFudw5wsII54gmfKIZAxHtQhl-ndXHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Elmo.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">I
used to have a dog with a “runaway spirit”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, he came into my life because he’d run away from someone
else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found him roaming the streets
one day, and after posting signs about a lost dog, I took him to the vet to be
scanned to see if he had an electronic chip which would identify him and his
owner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No such luck, so we adopted him
into our family and named him Elmo; however, no matter how much love he was
receiving from our family, he took the opportunity to run whenever the gate
opened.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">After
having him for a couple of years, I decided to relocate from Los Angeles to
Atlanta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what do you think happened
the week of the move?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You guessed it,
Elmo ran away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was devastated!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left his kennel and travel papers with my
sister and prayed that Elmo would be found by the time my sister was scheduled
to visit me in Atlanta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure enough,
about a week after we’d moved, I got a call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Hi!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is Emily’s mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have Elmo, again.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emily was a high school girl in the
neighborhood who Elmo had followed home during previous runaways, so they were
familiar with my little runaway baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, how
I rejoiced at knowing Elmo had been found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My sister went and got him and brought him to Atlanta with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hallelujah!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Knowing
I had a runner on my hands (and I loved him too much to see him get lost again), I scheduled to have an invisible fence
installed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re not familiar with
an invisible fence, it’s an electrical wire installed under-ground around the
perimeter of the yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dog wears a
collar that beeps when he gets too close to the wire alerting him to back-up,
otherwise, he’ll experience a shock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
dog eventually learns the boundaries and stays within the invisible fence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Well,
what do you think happened the day the guy came to install the fence?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You guessed it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elmo ran away!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both the children and I, along with the fence
guy, ran through the neighborhood chasing Elmo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Completely out of breath, we finally caught him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> After</span> getting back to the house, I will never
forget the fence installer’s words as he trained Elmo on how the fence worked -
“I see that Elmo has a runaway spirit, so I’m going to need to let him
experience a shock so he understands the boundaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might want to look away.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, how my heart ached as he took Elmo to the
edge of the yard and I heard him howl at the feeling of the shock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that experience, Elmo stayed on the
porch for several days uncertain about what was out in that evil yard waiting
for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, he learned the system
and began to run and play and enjoyed life within the safe boundaries set for
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to my great joy, he never left
the yard again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Elmo
and I have so much in common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
brought into my life to teach me what safe boundaries look like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve learned that God has a shield of
protection around me; however, when I run away on my own will, He sometimes
allows me to experience a shock to teach me boundaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ouch!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It doesn’t always feel good, but like the fence installer, I can hear the
Lord saying, “This might hurt a bit, but I’m going to have to allow this shock to
keep you safe in My will.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some of
us (and by “us” I mean “me”), it takes a lot of running away before we
understand that God’s boundaries are set in place for our lives because He
loves us too much to allow us to get lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not always easy when you have a “runaway spirit”, but I am constantly
reminded that the safe boundaries He’s set for me is just a reflection of His great
love for me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>“Trust
in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Proverbs 3:5</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love
Always,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-18700764927943162142019-09-25T06:49:00.000-04:002019-09-25T06:49:20.866-04:00It is what it is...<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S3sCf_FiUXA/XYtE1z4B8AI/AAAAAAAAA1A/AzPRj79OWncDK-Xaq0evzRsIvL2Fv13_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1808_Facetune_24-09-2019-22-07-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S3sCf_FiUXA/XYtE1z4B8AI/AAAAAAAAA1A/AzPRj79OWncDK-Xaq0evzRsIvL2Fv13_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_1808_Facetune_24-09-2019-22-07-04.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;">I have a friend who often says to
me, “It is what it is” when I question different situations. I get so
annoyed at that response and find myself shooting back, “Well, what is
it?” I just never really understood that phrase in relation to any given
situation. It has never offered me any clarity at all. I seem to
walk away just as unclear as I was before questioning things. I’m the
type of person that wants clear and concise answers. Don’t dance around
an issue. Don’t give me the gray version. Be clear on what it is.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;">But today was different. I was
reading John’s account of the crucifixion when I had an “AHA” moment of clarity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;">John
19:19-22<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;">19
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF
NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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Many of the Jews read the sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was
near the city, and the sign was written in Arabic, Latin and Greek. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;">21
The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of
the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be the king of the Jews.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;">22
Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;">In that moment, I could hear Pilate
saying to the priests, “It is what it is.” BOOM!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And just like that, I became crystal clear on
the old saying that used to confuse me while at the same time was reminded of
one fact – Jesus is King!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;">That reminder jump-started my faith
on the spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No more struggling with if,
when and how God would show up on my behalf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No more worrying about how He will reign over my life and all the issues
surrounding me. Instead, the next time the enemy tried to poke holes in
my faith and get me to doubt God’s promises for my life, I simply said out
loud, “It is what it is.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;">Friends, even when we don’t
understand, let’s hold tight to our faith. And in those moments when fear
and doubt try to creep in, let’s simply hang a sign over our faith that says
“It is what it is.” Jesus is King!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4;">https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;"></span></span><br />
Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-14941030191505905502019-09-11T09:10:00.001-04:002019-09-11T09:10:56.634-04:00What’s next?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hSCTx7zeJhQ/XXfbCo6kldI/AAAAAAAAA0k/qI9M7d6e-OEf4pL0FK7Jcmg4Z-uK_QTeACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1574_Facetune_10-09-2019-13-04-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1193" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hSCTx7zeJhQ/XXfbCo6kldI/AAAAAAAAA0k/qI9M7d6e-OEf4pL0FK7Jcmg4Z-uK_QTeACLcBGAs/s400/IMG_1574_Facetune_10-09-2019-13-04-19.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">As I sat sipping my
coffee, it seemed unreal that 15 years had passed since I’d moved to Atlanta when
my children were little. Over the years, Atlanta has been a great place
to raise them for so many reasons. As I think back, I can still remember
when my son got on the school bus for the first time and waved goodbye as my
daughter headed off for middle school. I never imagined the day would come when my son
would graduate high school and wave goodbye again. When people would tell
me to cherish the time of their childhood because it goes so fast, I never
realized just how fast it actually goes.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;"><br />
Fast forward fifteen years from the day I first got them settled into their new
bedrooms to the day I’m actually packing up their rooms. Wow! I’m
actually an empty nester. No more planning meals for a family. I
eat whatever I have a taste for each day. Not more running my kids around
to lessons and events. I plan according to my own calendar. No more
little league, junior choir, Halloween costumes, parent/teacher conferences,
middle of the night blanket checks or event the sound of the front door opening
followed by a hug and the one-word answer to “how was your day?” - “fine”.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;"><br />
Now I sit quietly in my morning prayer time with Jesus and simply ask, “What’s
next?” I want the big boom answer followed by an unexpected phone call
or email that would make everything clear. But instead, I hear the
still, small voice saying, “Trust me.” I chuckle to myself because I’d already known God wouldn’t give me the entire agenda. That’s just never been how
we roll. He’d simply put a desire in my heart for the first step followed
by grace and favor to reveal each step afterward. More than anything, He
wants me to trust Him with each step. After all, if we knew the entire
story, wouldn’t we find a way to manipulate it? Wouldn’t we try to tell
God how to best orchestrate the details? Sure, He gave me a vision, yet
He only told me to write it down so an angel may run with it. <i>(Habakkuk
2:2) </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">So when folks ask me, “What’s
next?” I simply tell them that I’m waiting for instructions for my next
move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, I have a vision and I’m
putting faith into action each day, but most importantly, I have trust in the
One who holds the plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I trust
Him to guide me in moving forward with each step, so that is what I'll do -
trusts Him with “what’s next”. If you have found yourself in this same place in a particular area of your life, simply ask God what to do next. He may not reveal the entire plan, but trust Him with the next step.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the
Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, </span></i><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11</span></i><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">Love Always,</span></i></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">Shy</span></i></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-37820490351081689672019-08-28T10:01:00.001-04:002019-08-28T10:01:10.117-04:00Growing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vb_Nts_NV0/XWaIYmsaDzI/AAAAAAAAA0A/xhpNL3l1N7Ee-5xruJjGmKhu9GBLgQIXgCLcBGAs/s1600/Barney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1205" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vb_Nts_NV0/XWaIYmsaDzI/AAAAAAAAA0A/xhpNL3l1N7Ee-5xruJjGmKhu9GBLgQIXgCLcBGAs/s400/Barney.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;">When I was a growing kid, I used to think my clothes were shrinking. I'd put on a dress that suddenly seemed too short or too tight. As I pointed it out to my mother, I'd ask if my clothes were shrinking. She'd laugh and jokingly tell me, yes they were. It never crossed my mind that my clothes were the same size and that I was actually growing. I only knew it was time to get rid of some things because they no longer fit me. It was time for something that fit the new me.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">As an adult, I am reminded of that childhood situation as I reflect on various areas of my life. Perhaps you can relate. Have you ever found yourself unable to reconcile why some relationships, jobs or activities that used to fit have now become too uncomfortable to be in? Or perhaps you found yourself trying to stretch something to make it fit your life when in reality you'd simply outgrown it?</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">I was reminded of a quote by Nelson Mandela when I had an “AHA” moment - "There's nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." It dawned on me that perhaps I had grown out of some things that used to fit not because they had changed, but because I had changed.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">In 1 Corinthians 13:11, Paul says<i> "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." </i> It’s clear that Paul understood the concept of growing beyond what used to fit.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">As God grows us in various areas of our lives and moves us into new stages and phases of our purpose, we become uncomfortable in the old "garments". Many times the discomfort is a way to get us to move to the next level of what God has for us. Acknowledge the discomfort as a catalyst to let go of the past and embrace the new. Trust God's plan as He tailors new garments fit for the places He is taking you.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;"><i>God will perfect that which concerns me. Psalms 138:8</i></span></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;">Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</span></div>
Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-36187050074599746192019-08-14T05:44:00.000-04:002019-08-14T05:44:38.079-04:00The Road Has Been Paid For<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OPl30vjdBUQ/XUoPUiFpRYI/AAAAAAAAAzc/r1i91h4ZiAYLd3Itk9dYBuv0jQ_8nhiawCLcBGAs/s1600/Toll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OPl30vjdBUQ/XUoPUiFpRYI/AAAAAAAAAzc/r1i91h4ZiAYLd3Itk9dYBuv0jQ_8nhiawCLcBGAs/s400/Toll.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;">I just love my GPS system in my car. I simply cannot imagine
using an actual paper map like we used back in the day. There is
something so comforting in knowing that all I have to do is put in a
destination and the GPS system will get me there with no thinking of my own.
I just listen and follow instructions. “Turn here” is simply enough.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;">The other day as I was driving along on the freeway, the GPS
system said “prepare to stop at the toll ahead,” but there was no toll ahead. I
do recall there used to be one a few years ago, but it has since been
taken out. Knowing this, I was just going to ignore it, but then I
noticed the confused look on my son’s face and said, “This road has been paid
for. There’s no toll.” I went on to explain to him that the toll
was initially put in place to recoup the cost of building the road and since it
has now been paid for, they have removed the toll booth so there is no cost for
us to drive on this road.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">As I drove further down the road, I couldn’t help but think of
many other “roads” that have been paved for me that have been paid for.
So when the enemy taunts me and tells me I’m going to have to pay for the road
I’ve taken, I remind him that through the grace of God it’s already been paid
for. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;">The road to peace, if we make the correct turns. (John 14:27)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;">The road to joy, if we avoid the ditches. (Romans 15:13)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;">The road to purpose, if we don’t get distracted.
(Proverbs 19:21)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;">The road to God’s plan, if we listen for instructions.
(Jeremiah 29:11)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;">Let’s face it, life happens to the best of us. A sudden
twist in the road that we didn’t see coming, or perhaps we saw it coming, but
thought we’d be able to navigate it on our own. In John 14:6, Jesus says, <i>“I am the
way, and the truth and the life.”</i> If we listen to His voice and trust His plan, we don’t need to know every turn in advance</span></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "times new roman";">. He knows what’s ahead and where we should turn. He created us with a destination in mind, has a plan to get us there and has already paid in full the price
of the road we will travel. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and listen to your spiritual GPS (God’s Plan System). <i>He is THE WAY!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Instagram:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/">https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-53564534109753433992019-08-07T06:10:00.000-04:002019-08-07T06:10:15.551-04:00Covered<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U5zdQTQd7tU/XUoNizT4V8I/AAAAAAAAAzQ/Crs3__27l4MNzuRt5bYY_rSY0jcoGRtKwCLcBGAs/s1600/Covering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1460" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U5zdQTQd7tU/XUoNizT4V8I/AAAAAAAAAzQ/Crs3__27l4MNzuRt5bYY_rSY0jcoGRtKwCLcBGAs/s400/Covering.jpg" width="363" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;">As we stood graveside at my grandfather’s funeral, the rain went
from a light drizzle to a heavy drizzle. While saying our final goodbyes
to “Big Papa”, which is what we affectionately called him, I realized that
neither I nor my mother had an umbrella. When noticing me putting my hands over
my head (as if that would help) my mother pulled a scarf from her purse and
said, “Here baby. Use this.” I was so grateful as I tied the scarf
over my hair. What a sacrifice to give me her only scarf as she also
stood in the rain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;">Fast forward 30 years... I still have that very same scarf.
It’s a bit faded and even has a tear in it, yet I still use it to cover my hair
quite often. It has become a constant reminder of kindness, generosity and love. I am also reminded that much like my mom’s
scarf still covers me, so does God’s love. It has no ending and is
unfailing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">In life, we can’t always predict the weather. Yet I’m
comforted by the reminder that He sees me in the midst of my storms. Sure, I
love the sunny days of life, but when I’m standing out in the rain, uncovered,
and getting drenched by life’s circumstances He lovingly says, “Here baby.
Use this.” as He gently covers me in His love. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;">Psalm 46:1-2a <i>“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to
help in times of trouble. So we will not fear.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;">No matter what storm you may be facing today, know that He hears
you, He sees you and He knows exactly what you need. He’s always there
ready to cover you with his unfailing love. Listen to His voice as He
whispers, “Here baby. Use this.” Have no fear. He has you covered!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Instagram:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/">https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-41489866539974350322019-07-31T05:04:00.000-04:002019-07-31T13:25:51.732-04:00Love Requirements<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SqtiwmUQRzU/XUFSspUHAsI/AAAAAAAAAy8/xHGVcrEUxCg6OdcOUPkHEDY25EaFFt5VACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_1105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="828" height="391" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SqtiwmUQRzU/XUFSspUHAsI/AAAAAAAAAy8/xHGVcrEUxCg6OdcOUPkHEDY25EaFFt5VACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_1105.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">We’ve all been in
situations where our emotions have grabbed the wheel and driven us completely
into a ditch. Or maybe you’re not as bad as I am so perhaps you simply chose to
ignore a situation that warranted a response. Perhaps tradition, routine, habit
or other priorities simply trumped the appropriate response to an issue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Well, there I was
dealing with an issue that I would have chosen to ignore for my own peace sake
when I remembered a simple question a minister challenged the audience to ask
themselves before responding to any situation. The question was simply <i>“What does
love require of me?”</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">If you're a follower of
Jesus, it's a very easy question to ask. I must admit that although I
haven't always gotten it right, the pause and the question have certainly made
the appropriate response obvious. I've found that love loosens our grip
to be right, to win or to control. It helps us to grab hold of Jesus's
words in Matthew 22:37-39 - <i>“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as
yourself.” </i> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Love makes the right
decision obvious, provides appropriate answers to tough questions and throws regret right out the
window.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’d like to challenge
you, whether it be a situation with your family, a friend, a neighbor or even a
stranger, pause and ask yourself the question <i>“What does love require of me?”</i>
before responding. I guarantee the appropriate response will become
obvious and not only will your human relationships change, but so will your
relationship with Christ. I have a feeling that that’s the very question Jesus
asked before dying for you and for me. After all, love never fails.</span></span></span></div>
<i style="color: purple; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>1 Corinthians 13 - <span class="text"><b><sup>4</sup></b></span><span class="text">Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not
boast, it is not proud.</span> <span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span id="en-NIV-28671" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">5 </span></sup></b>It does not dishonor others, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.</span> <span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span id="en-NIV-28672" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">6 </span></sup></b>Love does
not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.</span> <span class="text"><b><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span id="en-NIV-28673" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">7 </span></sup></b>It always
protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.</span><span class="text"></span> <span class="text"><b><sup>8 </sup></b></span><span class="text">Love never fails. </span></i></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><b>Love Always,<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><b>Shy</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-78562600837533512252019-07-10T12:22:00.001-04:002019-07-10T12:22:29.589-04:00The Last Act of Love<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3VvB9xoq1Rg/XSYMdnkB7tI/AAAAAAAAAyY/gKE29TRAEWgdOub1t18s-doB49GvMt4dQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0961_Facetune_09-07-2019-15-20-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="654" height="340" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3VvB9xoq1Rg/XSYMdnkB7tI/AAAAAAAAAyY/gKE29TRAEWgdOub1t18s-doB49GvMt4dQCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_0961_Facetune_09-07-2019-15-20-08.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;">I can still hear my father's voice singing
"Three Little Fishies" to me and my sister, Joy, while he played the
piano. We'd stand there and giggle as he sang it because it was such a
fun and happy song. At the end, we'd put our hands over our mouths with wide
eyes as kids do when they think they’ve heard a bad word. In case you’re not
familiar with this cute little song, the lyrics went as follows.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Down in the meadow in a<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>little bitty pool<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Swam three little fishies<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>And a mama fishie too<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>"Swim," said the mama fishie,<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>"Swim if you can."<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>And they swam and they swam all<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>over the dam<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Boop boop diten datem whatem choo<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Boop boop diten datem whatem choo<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Boop boop diten datem whatem choo<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>And they swam and they swam<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>right over the dam<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">After being away from Los Angeles for several
years, I returned home and asked my dad to play that song for me. He needed
help getting to the piano, but once seated, gave it his best effort. He plucked
at the keys and sang the words and smiled widely at me when he was done. I
could see how proud he was of himself as I collected yet another golden memory
in my heart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;">I've heard it said, "Grief is the last act
of love we have to give to those we loved. Where there is deep grief, there was
great love.” I would have to agree. My love for my dad
was and is deep, as is the grief. Deep from the memories of his silly
jokes to hearing him call home from a trip when I was in middle school and say "I'll be home Friday, so don't make any
plans, because you have a date with me." I'd smile each time and say
"okay" while looking forward to something special.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Although I grieve the loss of an earthly father,
I'm so happy he is free and with Jesus now. I'm sure he's playing the
piano and worshiping with a joyful heart. I smile at the thought of him
singing "Three Little Fishies" to all the kids up there, but
something tells me he's probably singing the words that he loved to hear my
mother sing:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>When we all get together<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>what a day of rejoicing that will be<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>When we all see Jesus<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>we will sing and shout the victory<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Rejoice, Deddy! You are free! My
grief is but a symbol of my love, but even in the midst of my grief, I rejoice
with you. See you later!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>In loving memory of John E. Sheriff - Feb. 20,
1931 - July 7, 2019.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
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<br />Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-35844149268982646752019-06-20T08:01:00.002-04:002019-06-20T08:01:38.176-04:00Yet?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple;">I grew up hearing the older folks say "God has not failed me yet." I fully agree with the "God not failed me" part. It was the "yet" part that always bothered me. It sounded almost like a gamble. Are we expecting that although He's been on a role, at some point He might just fail? The word "yet" has just always made this statement sound like doubt or uncertainty. That is until I stumbled upon this story by an English musician and composer, Gavin Bryars.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>"In 1971, when I lived in London, I was working with a friend, Alan Power, on a film about people living rough in the area around Elephant and Castle and Waterloo Station. In the course of being filmed, some people broke into drunken song – sometimes bits of opera, sometimes sentimental ballads – and one, who in fact did not drink, sang a religious song "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet". This was not ultimately used in the film and I was given all the unused sections of tape, including this one.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>When I played it at home, I found that his singing was in tune with my piano, and I improvised a simple accompaniment. I noticed, too, that the first section of the song – 13 bars in length – formed an effective loop which repeated in a slightly unpredictable way. I took the tape loop to Leicester (University), where I was working in the Fine Art Department, and copied the loop onto a continuous reel of tape, thinking about perhaps adding an orchestrated accompaniment to this. The door of the recording room opened on to one of the large painting studios and I left the tape copying, with the door open, while I went to have a cup of coffee. When I came back I found the normally lively room unnaturally subdued. People were moving about much more slowly than usual and a few were sitting alone, quietly weeping.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>I was puzzled until I realized that the tape was still playing and that they had been overcome by the old man's singing. This convinced me of the emotional power of the music and of the possibilities offered by adding a simple, though gradually evolving, orchestral accompaniment that respected the homeless man's nobility and simple faith. Although he died before he could hear what I had done with his singing, the piece remains as an eloquent, but understated testimony to his spirit and optimism."</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">The homeless man simply sings over and over:</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">Jesus blood never failed me yet</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">this one thing I know</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">for he loves me so</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">Jesus blood never failed me yet</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">I was so moved by this story that I found the song on YouTube and began to listen to it being performed with an orchestra and halfway through, I was brought to tears by the certainty and peace in the singer's voice, in spite of his circumstances. The emphasis he put on the word "yet" was as if he was answering my question of why the word was even used. My heart was so transformed by a singing homeless man over 48 years ago that instead of hearing "Jesus blood never failed me yet" I begin to hear "YET, Jesus blood never failed me." I went from hearing doubt to hearing faithfulness. From hearing uncertainty to hearing "in spite of."</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">So today, no matter what things look like, I can say with unwavering confidence, "YET, Jesus blood never failed me."</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">To listen to the composition, visit https://youtu.be/TfT3njX2FLU</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</span></div>
Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-21439969138933248862019-06-12T08:21:00.000-04:002019-06-12T08:21:20.612-04:00Drop a Hint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple;">Have you ever noticed the "drop a hint" feature available on some retailers' websites? For example, when I'm browsing the Tiffany website and see something I like, there is a button I can click that says "drop a hint" and Tiffany will email whoever I'd like to receive a hint that this is something I would like. I've seen this feature on several websites and think it's pretty cool for those occasions when your loved one might be struggling with what to get you. But what I think is even cooler, is when someone actually pays close enough attention to you to know the desires of your heart without a hint. Like the time your loved-one seemed to have noticed the look in your eye when you stopped and stared adoringly at an item through the window for a few seconds, so they went back to the store to surprise you. Or that yawn that signaled "one more cup of coffee would get me through this project" and your co-worker shows up with a cup of coffee. Or when your significant other just seemed to have known when to stop what they were doing to give you a much-needed hug. Those moments are so much more precious than a hint.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Psalms 37:4 says <i>"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."</i> (NIV) The Lord doesn't require hints to know the desires of our hearts. In fact, I love how the Message Bible says it, <i>"Keep company with God, get in on the best."</i> There is something about keeping company with someone that allows them to get to know you in a very intimate way. I find that the more I spend time with the Lord through prayer, reading His word, and just constantly speaking gratitude and praise, the less I need to drop to a hint. He automatically knows what I need. Even in those moments when I'm desiring the wrong thing, He gently changes my heart to bring me to a place of peace and trust in His plan.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">There have been times when I desired something and never uttered a word to a single soul and the Lord unexpectedly gave me the desires of my heart. It made the gift even more special because it was as if I heard the Lord's voice saying, "I've been paying attention to you." Those moments have truly blessed me as they are so much more full of love than a hint.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">So the next time you think you need to "drop a hint" to God, simply get closer to Him and He will know the desires of your heart.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</span></div>
Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-15655939662115320872019-05-29T08:08:00.000-04:002019-05-29T08:08:02.369-04:00Things Hoped For<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MfFJqHDtqgo/XO51Q1JYYtI/AAAAAAAAAwU/0eXUQEUehlo0p9H_yO7FM_k3jfoHzJMYQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0426_Facetune_28-05-2019-10-02-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MfFJqHDtqgo/XO51Q1JYYtI/AAAAAAAAAwU/0eXUQEUehlo0p9H_yO7FM_k3jfoHzJMYQCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_0426_Facetune_28-05-2019-10-02-14.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;">There we were, at my son's graduation dinner as I began my speech. A speech that was 17 years in the making. There was so much to say, so much to be thankful for and so many blessings to speak over my son as he prepared to enter into a new phase in life. As I looked at him, my eyes welled up with tears. Not because I would be sad to see him leave the nest, but because I was looking at the fulfillment of things hoped for.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">You see, our journey was one far from predictable in so many ways. One that required buckets and buckets of mustard seed faith. Seeds for each and every provision made beyond what I could see. Seeds for all the doctor's and emergency room visits from having a little boy with chronic asthma. Seeds for a safe return every time he went out into the world without me as he grew older. And even seeds for the right friends, role models and mentors to walk alongside him on his journey. His entire life was full of faith seeds planted along the way. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">When I looked at my son on this day, I saw the substance of things hoped for and was reminded of how powerful faith is. The fulfillment of promises far beyond what I could have ever imagined was evidence of the seeds planted. This moment encouraged me in other areas of my life to continue to plant seeds of faith. If God did "this", I can trust He'll do "that".</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Let me encourage you in every situation to stay in faith and trust that God is watering your seeds and preparing a harvest of things hoped for. We walk by faith!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i><b>Love Always,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i><b>Shy</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</span></div>
Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-9566641322279421582019-05-09T07:43:00.001-04:002019-05-09T07:43:35.255-04:00Drop Your Net<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple;">It's not always easy to stop along our current path and choose a different, and perhaps more purposeful path. Sometimes doing what we've always done is the most comfortable way to go, so we continue the familiar routine. No matter how unfulfilling or unrewarding things may be, it's easy to remain stuck in what we know. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">So when I read Matthew 4:18-22, I was amazed at how easy it was for the disciples to follow Jesus. <i> (18) While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. (19) And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." [a] (20) Immediately they left their nets and followed him. (21) And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John, his brother, in the boat with Zebedee, their father, mending their nets, and he called them. (22) Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">What?! They just dropped their nets and followed Him, just like that? Yes, they did! They stopped what they were doing and simply said, "yes" to Jesus and "yes" to the call for something more. They didn't let what they've always done, or even their family situations get in the way of God's plan for their lives. Unbelievable! Do you know how many questions I would have had, along with a few requested follow-up meetings? Why? Because when it comes to us dropping our nets and getting out of our boats, we need absolute certainty and a full presentation of the plan. BUT, my friend, let us remember WE WALK BY FAITH!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">In a culture of "following," it's easy to get tangled up in the wrong net, but I can tell you from experience that there is only one path that brings peace and purpose. So if you're feeling stuck or perhaps lacking peace, it may be time to drop your net and follow Him. It's the one "follow" you will be glad you chose. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</span></div>
Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-8750857639602674312019-05-02T05:17:00.000-04:002019-05-02T05:17:23.979-04:00The Lifting of Hands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RbOabsf5qw0/XMihM37xj2I/AAAAAAAAAtc/bpV6RJQsEtEVmWiEDBIxwjf13J9sNp3FACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="732" height="243" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RbOabsf5qw0/XMihM37xj2I/AAAAAAAAAtc/bpV6RJQsEtEVmWiEDBIxwjf13J9sNp3FACLcBGAs/s400/IMG_9994.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;">Sometimes we go through things in life that leave us so traumatized or so heartbroken that it feels like a battle trying to get to the other side of the pain. Not only does it feel like a battle, but some days feel like a "losing battle" and it becomes more and more difficult to fight. So difficult at times that moving forward seems almost impossible.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">That's exactly where I was - in battle. It's not that I felt I was going to lose, because I knew however it worked out, God had a plan. But, I must admit the victory ahead of me was a bit cloudy and I was getting tired. I was running out of strength, arrows, bullets, you name it, when I realized I was using the wrong weapon to fight.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple;">Around that same time, I happen to read about the battle between the Amalekites and the Israelites in Exodus 17. The Israelites were under attack, and "<i>as long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning."</i> The bible goes on to say <i>"when Moses' hands grew tired...Aaron and Hur held his hands up."</i> Hmmm... The "lifting of the hands" got me to thinking. </span><span style="color: purple;">What if in the midst of my battle, I keep my hands raised in praise? What if I used my worship as my greatest weapon? What if I kept my attention on the One who causes me to triumph rather than on my circumstances? What if I fully surrendered to His plan?</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Like Moses, at times we get tired and want to lower our hands, but that's when having our very own "Aaron and Hur" in our lives is important - someone to keep us encouraged and help us "keep our hands held up". </span><span style="color: purple;">I certainly came to realize how valuable it </span><span style="color: purple;">was to have friends in my life </span><span style="color: purple;">who will stand with me in faith in the midst of my battles. It made all the difference in the world.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">So </span><span style="color: purple;">I encourage you to identify those people in your life and allow them to stand with you in those trying times. Sometimes having the right people around can be key to winning. Prayer partners, accountability partners and encouragers are evidence of God's love and grace surrounding us. They are also reminders of how effective prayer and worship are. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">No matter what you may be going through, don't stop worshiping; don't stop praising; don't stop thanking the One true God who will bring victory in your situation. You can win with the lifting of the hands!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</span></div>
Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-5794681228097303912019-04-10T08:58:00.001-04:002019-04-10T08:58:30.173-04:00Location! Location! Location!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple;">I think we can all agree that buying a new house can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. First, the location has to be right. Then the price has to be right. Then comes all the details - the size, number of rooms, curb appeal, etc. But what about when you find the "perfect" house, but it's not so perfect? It needs new paint, new light fixtures, upgraded appliances and so much more. I mean, you see the potential of what it could be, but it's going to take some work.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">That's where I was in my house search. I was looking to downsize as my son heads off to college when I found the "not-so-perfect" perfect house. The location was perfect! I just loved the community it was in. As a matter of fact, the house actually looked great from the outside, but the inside was another story. I would need the entire house painted on the inside, new kitchen appliances, new light fixtures, and the wood stairs refinished. In addition to that, an inspection revealed things that I could not see with my eye. But the house had so much potential and character. I saw what it could be.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">So as I thought about whether or not I wanted to do all the work, I thought about my spiritual house...AKA, my life. What if God was using this house to show me all the places inside of me that need a little work. Some places needing repair and other places needing to be made brand new. I thought about all the potential of what God sees in me, if I would just let Him do the work. I thought about times when I was (and still am) far from perfect, yet He saw how I could be "one of the best houses on the block" if I surrendered to His workmanship.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">You see, my friend, even though we might have great curb appeal, He knows what's really going on on the inside. But even in spite of that, He knows how to "remodel" us into the best versions of ourselves. We just have to let Him in and give Him complete control. So before we allow our current circumstances to condemn us, understand that God can reveal value in areas we never could have imagined possible, if we would just get in alignment with His will. Being in the will of God is still the best place to be in order to <i>real</i>ize our true potential. Location! Location! Location! Give Him the keys and say "yes" to His plans today.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">http://lovealwaysshy.blogspot.com/</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovealwaysshy/</span></div>
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Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-91836284301499321802019-04-04T08:23:00.000-04:002019-04-04T08:23:31.521-04:00Coffee?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple;">If you are a serious coffee drinker, then you understand the importance of all the details being just right. The right brand of coffee. The right kind of creamer. The right temperature. And even the right mug. I have four different brands of coffee in my cabinet right now plus 3 different creamers in the fridge and a powdered creamer in the cabinet all from when my six sisters visited me. Everybody's cup of coffee had to be just right in order for them to enjoy it. No two were the same, yet each cup met a different need perfectly. It's amazing how one persons idea of "just right" is so much different than another person's idea. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">That reminds me of how God gave each of us very special and unique gifts and talents according to what He purposed us to do AND who He intended us to touch with those gifts. Like a perfect cup of coffee, no two of us are the same. We may have things in common, but God has poured very unique gifts into each of us. We each experience Christ in a different way just as those who come in contact with us can experience Him through us in a different way. Maybe, just maybe, God wants us to use our unique gifts in someone's life who will experience Christ through you in a way that only you can share Him. Maybe you're someone's perfect cup of coffee once you stir up your gifts. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Maybe you share Christ through song - a perfect cup for someone who connects with God through music. Maybe you share Christ through service - a perfect cup for someone who needs to know they matter. Maybe you will share Christ though humor - a perfect cup for someone who needs to be uplifted. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">No matter how different our gifts and how we share Christ, it's the perfect cup for someone who experiences Him just the way you allow Him to be poured out through you. So stir up the gifts that have been poured into you and be someone's perfect cup of coffee today!</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;">Stir up the gifts of God! 2 Timothy 1:6</span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: purple;">Love Always,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: purple;">Shy</span></i></b></div>
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Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-49863800810599083712019-03-28T05:53:00.001-04:002019-03-28T05:53:20.163-04:00Put on your shoes of peace!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple;">I remember my dad saying, "If you want to forget all your problems, put on some shoes that hurt your feet." That might sound funny, but he was so right! There I was, walking down the hallway at work with one problem - my feet hurt! I couldn't think about anything else, except getting home so I could take those shoes off. They were new and cute, but I had no peace.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Like walking in shoes that hurt my feet, I've walked through seasons of life that hurt my heart. The further along I went, the worse it seemed to get and I didn't understand the "why". I tried everything I knew to do on my own, yet nothing got better. I prayed. I cried. Still no change and still no peace. What a long season it was.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">There are times when we cling to the wrong things to fill a void, yet we wonder why God has not "fixed" it. That's exactly what I did for way too long. Then I read Ephesians 6:10-17, which spoke directly to my aching heart. It spoke of truth, righteousness, peace, faith and salvation. But verse 15 really spoke to me saying, <i>"and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace..."</i> It took me back to my childhood where we referred to this verse as having on our "shoes of peace". In this moment, I realized I was not wearing my shoes of peace. In fact, I was taking steps in the direction of my own will and trying to drag Jesus along with me. I had no peace, because the truth was I wasn't operating<i> in Him</i> and His will for my life.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">I had to learn the hard way that in order to have peace I had to allow my steps to be ordered by God. There was simply no other way. I had to fully surrender to His will and trust every step He purposed for me. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">The bottom line is this - trials will come, life will happen, the sun will set, but in spite of all these things, we don't need to have all the answers. We just need to remain close to Jesus. That's where we'll find peace. </span><span style="color: purple;">So let's put on our shoes of peace and let Him order each step today.</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;">"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace."</span><span style="color: purple;"> John 13:33</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span></div>
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Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-82162431224273576792019-03-14T07:18:00.000-04:002019-03-14T07:18:29.383-04:00Proof That He Was There<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple;">I was having a FaceTime call with my daughter the other day and noticed she was wearing a really cute blouse, so I complimented her then said, "I want one." A few seconds later, I realized the midsection was shear and I'd forgotten about my scars, so I said, "Oh, never mind. It would show my scars." She said, "Mom, it's okay. Your scars just show that you've been through something and you made it."</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple;">Wow! That was a very true statement. How often do we try to hide the scars in our lives? How often do we try to paint a picture like everything is okay and has always been okay when, in fact, it's our scars that can be used to inspire others in ways that a "perfect" life never would be able to? Yet the scars in our lives, both emotional and physical, are safely hidden away. We sometimes think our scars show weakness or failure, but it's the exact opposite. Our scars are evidence not only that we are over-comers, but that Jesus showed up in our lives. </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple;">In the bible, John tells the story of how Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus visited them after the resurrection, so Thomas (who we know as "Doubting Thomas") said he would not believe it was Jesus unless he actually felt the scars. So when Jesus visited them again a week later, he told Thomas to feel the scars. Then He said, "<i>Stop doubting and believe</i>." Only then did Thomas believe it was really Jesus in their presence. (<i>John 20:24-29</i>) </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Like Thomas, some people will not believe that Jesus can and will show up until they see your scars. They won't believe the miracles that have taken place until they see the proof. Our scars say, "He showed up for me!" No matter what type of scars you have, they are evidence of what He has done for you and is able to do for someone else too. </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple;">The very scars you may be trying to hide, may just be the scars that will make a believer out of the doubter. Someone else's breakthrough might just be behind <i>your</i> scars. </span><span style="color: purple;">When they see what God has done for you. When they see how you made it to the other side of your situation. When they see that you don't look like your story. They. Will. Believe.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple;">Let me encourage you, don't be afraid to show your scars as proof that He was there.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span></div>
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Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-24575895668231751682019-03-06T07:42:00.001-05:002019-03-06T07:42:30.213-05:00The Gifts in the "How"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple;">I had given God a list of options on how to heal me. I was in so much pain (which I didn't really acknowledge at the time) and I knew He was able. So, in faith, I said, "Lord, you can heal me by one of these options." And I proceeded to give him a few suggestions, because, well you know, He might not have considered how to get this done. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">As time went on, I had some good days which I rejoiced in. But for the most part, I seemed to be moving in the direction of "worse" - worse pain, worse symptoms, worse energy levels. Fortunately, my faith never got worse. I continued to cling to the fact that He is able. I just didn't understand why He wouldn't just heal me in a clean and simple way. Just let me wake up one day completely well with the doctors looking confused and saying they'd never seen anything like this. That's what I wanted.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Eventually, my situation led me to the emergency room, and emergency surgery and a change in lifestyle. That was not on the list of options I gave the Lord. How did He come up with this and why? He came up with this to give me the gifts in the "how". While I was focused on the "what" I needed Him to do, He was focused on the gifts He had for me in the "how". It was in the "how" that I received the gift of grace. Grace that I never would have been aware of had He just waved a magic wand to heal me. I also received the gift of purpose - purpose that would give my story power to give all glory to God. Lastly, I received the gift of love. I was surrounded with so much love, that it was healing and soothing to my spirit and soul. I can't explain the peace I felt even in the midst of my road to healing. I didn't know how. I didn't know why (and still don't know all the why). I just knew He was able. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">I've come to know that the only appropriate response to a gift is "thank you". So when I opened my eyes in the hospital after surgery, my first response was "thank you". And from that day to this one, I give thanks. Thanks for not doing it my way. Thanks for hiding me under His wing when it looked like the enemy was coming for me. Thanks for having a plan and purpose for my pain and for my life. Thanks for the gift of grace. Thanks for the "how" that showed me that miracles still happen over 2,000 years later!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">If nothing else, I want to share with you that if you let God do it His way, you will look back and see all the gifts you received along the way. Trust Him, then simply say "Thank you!" for the many gifts you received in the "how".</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are your ways my ways," </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span></div>
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Love Always, Shyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03977522415367262595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1121126976498811674.post-61222239942656535082019-02-28T05:12:00.000-05:002019-02-28T05:12:27.610-05:00The Thing that Leads to the Thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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H<span style="color: purple;">ave you ever had that moment where you've asked yourself, "How did I get here?" I’m sure you can reflect on the series of choices and life events that led to it, but why “here”? Well, I was having that very conversation with myself. (I have a very complex relationship with myself. LOL!) And as I reflected on life’s events, a quote that I always tell my daughter came to mind - “Sometimes you may not be doing the thing you’re purposes to do, but it might be the thing that leads to the thing, so don't give up.”</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple;">More often than not, God uses our experiences, gifts, talents, strengths, faults, short-comings, triumphs, defeats, losses and even disappointments to prepare us for our purpose. How else do we get prepared for that “thing” except by all the “things that lead to the thing”? </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple;">Ephesians 2:10 says "For we are God's handiwork, created in Chris Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." You see, none of this takes God by surprise. He prepared us in advance. He is the potter. We are the clay (God's handiwork). He knew when He was creating us exactly what "good works" He was creating us to do. Therefore, these 3 things are true:</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple;">1. He equipped us (in advance) with the tools we would need to fulfill our purpose. </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">2. He created us to do good works.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">3. He made no mistakes!</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple;">What good works did God create you to do? Sometimes that very thing that challenges you is the thing that will lead to the thing that produces your good works. Ask God to show you how to use every gift He's given you, because every experience along the way just might be a tool for your purpose...and His glory! So don't give up and don't get stuck. Keep moving forward and trust God's plan!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Love Always,</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Shy</i></b></span></div>
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