Responding Rather Than Reacting

Proverbs 16:2

All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
    but motives are weighed by the Lord.

I read this Proverb and I am struck by the simplicity of it, yet….the question seems larger than the Proverb. When we are trying so hard to “get it right” and we feel that we are operating out of a pure hea t- and we aren’t -what hope do we have in “getting it right”? Yes, we need a Savior, but…how does this translate into my every day, my moment by moment?

We could all approach the same situation with a different perspective.  Each one of us has a lens, or a filter, that we view life through. This lens is formed day by day, experience by experience, and it shapes how we view our world. It molds into our relationships and into our reactions.  Every situation we encounter is filtered through this lens as the sum total of our experiences on earth.

The lens that we filter through can’t always be trusted.  As an example, our lens can be one of a victim and all situations that filter in will be seen through the standpoint of a victim. The lens can be one of jealousy, and all information processed will be through that filter, and processed according to the filter’s impression of the event in question.  

We try to walk out this Christian walk and we try to do the best we can, but our reactions keep tripping us up. We are in the same old reaction before we even have a chance to sit up and look around.

Let’s think about responding, rather than reacting. Let’s think about slowing down and allowing the Lord in to test the motives of our heart.  The Holy Spirit is guide and counselor, when we invite Holy Spirit into our filter- we can see clearer- without the shadow of our own experiences clouding our view. To hold our tongues and our temper and to seek His ways.   The Holy Spirit is not a prankster that wants to trip us up – He is our Holy Spirit- one third of our triune God.   The Holy Spirit was promised to us by Jesus and He is:

The Spirit of truth and omforter:

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; He is the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it does not see Him, neither do they know Him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:16-17)

He will guide us, in spite of our filters, into the deeper mysteries and ways of God:

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 1 Corinthians 2:10-13

My original question is answered through this reflection. We do need a Savior, and our Savior has given us the Holy Spirit to abide within us.  When we slow down and respond to what is being thrown at us, we have a chance to allow the Holy Spirit to direct our thoughts and our plans.  We invite the mysteries of God into our everyday experiences and allow Him to shine through.

Let’s pray together:

Holy Spirit, we invite you into our everyday circumstances, we invite you into our ordinary- to teach us truth and the mysteries of God in our everyday interactions.  We bow our hearts and our wills with a Holy Obedience to the ordinary

Do Not Worry

My Calendar Subject For Approval

 

Proverbs 16:1

Taken from the message, “Everything with a Place and a Purpose”

16 Mortals make elaborate plans,
    but God has the last word.

In order to savor the nuggets of wisdom that are coming forth, I thought we would switch over to bite sized nuggets, rather than a firehose of information.  I have been overwhelmed writing each week, feeling like there are so many places to explore and not enough time.  So, we are switching to “one a day”. I know this presents a problem for those of you that journal in your bible, as you cant do a visual for each Proverb in your Bible.  Might I suggest a sketchbook, if you don’t already use one? I know this is a switch, and I am here to brainstorm any way that will help you get the most out of this study!

 Today we will look at 16:1. The connotation of the word “arak” here is to lay things in order, to arrange, to plan.  As women, we certainly do plan don’t we? We can plan entire days, weeks, seasons without checking in with God to see if our plans align with His plans!  Have you ever felt like you were swimming upstream and the Grizzlies were swatting at you, biting and chomping at your flesh?  Maybe we swam where we weren’t supposed to be!

I can’t tell you how many times I have had to come before the Lord and show Him my calendar and show Him what I have done, and ask His assistance in clearing out that which I wasn’t supposed to ever take on. If I am doing something that is pure horror for me, that I dread….I have found that I was never meant to take it on.  I was wearing someone else’s blessing and it, simply, did not fit.  David could not wear Saul’s armor, and I was not meant to inhabit another’s blessing. It is unimaginable how many times I have had to have a “course correction” with my schedule.

We purpose our days and our seasons, our projects and our tasks…but the Lord disposes( gets rid of) . We can’t go about a single thing without the blessing of God. God easily can and often does intersect our purposes.  I believe that when He intersects our purposes, He is taking away so that we might step into the fullness of Whom He created us to be.

How do you offer your schedule to the Lord for His pruning? Do you find it hard when something is “taken away” from you, making room for God’s intentions?  Yeah, me too! Solomon is wise to remind us today that whenever our steps are orchestrated through a heavenly calendar, our steps are blessed indeed!

I Just Might Bend But I Won't BReak

I have chosen the Proverb that speaks to me out of todays reading.  Please journal that which the Lord is revealing to you!  LOOK AND LISTEN WELL (15:30–33): A cheerful look brings joy to the heart.

³⁰ Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
    and good news gives health to the bones.

³¹ Whoever heeds life-giving correction
    will be at home among the wise.

³² Those who disregard discipline despise themselves,
    but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.

³³ Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord,
    and humility comes before honor.

     We are half way through the book of Proverbs, and Solomon ends chapter 15 with a strong reminder  that this entire path began with the FEAR OF THE LORD. Do you remember? Because Solomon pauses to remind us, let’s remind ourselves what fear of the Lord means.  It is to bow down to Him in reverence, respect and awe. When we bow down to the Lord, we have to bend. We have to bend our will to his. Bending means that we are burdened from the loads that we are carrying and we need a respite from our worry.  Bending means that we can’t stand tall in pride and arrogance.  Bending doesn’t mean breaking. Bending takes on humility as it’s force, as we think less of ourselves and more of Him ----our posture weakens, our knees get trembly…as we stand before the God of the Angel Armies. We bow so that He receives the glory.
      In this place, as we stand before Him, bent in obeisance, we are in the correct posture to hear from Lady Wisdom. This is the frequency that she comes through on, loud and clear. There is no static as she whispers in our ears and instructs us in the ways of the Lord.

      Solomon tells us that, in this state of obeisance, will always come before honor.  Gentleness, a sense of clemency as we come before the Lord…..we are not worthy to be in His presence, in His Holy Presence we remember how we fall short of the Glory of God.  But God, in His grace and loving kindness sent us His Son. We are granted clemency through the blood of Jesus Christ to call Him Father.  As we bow into these magnificent truths, we assume the correct posture to become His servant, to love the world and make disciples – in His name.

     In this place of humility we are set to receive His gifts and glorious abundance.   


Is there a place in your life that you have held onto?  A place that you don’t want to give it over to the Lord?  A place that you are not bending to His will and to His ways?  It could be a medical issue, that you are not ready to give over into His will. It could be a relationship that you continue to struggle with, trying to fix it in your own power. It could be an addiction that you would rather not give up.

Would you seek His will today, bending your heart in  prayer as you come before the Holy Throne and seek His heart on the matter?  The truth is that God meets us were we are with grace and mercy. 

Five Potatoes, Four Onions and a Piece of Bacon.

Proverbs 15: ¹⁷ Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.

I love when Solomon paints a picture with his words. The comparison between the things of the earth, that are free and require minimum preparation, compared to a stalled oxen being fattened over time is, simply, compelling.  For me, Solomon’s pictures draw me in and demand scrutiny beyond the obvious.

Some versions use the word HERB rather than vegetable, implying that this meal is one that is gathered from the forest, a meal for the poor.  A meal that is meager and not indulgent.  The flavoring over this meal is love. When I was engaged, I got a spice jar that was empty, on its cover the word was “LOVE”, and the directions were to sprinkle it liberally over each meal. When Love is the spice at the table, there is an ease about the meal.  When Love is the guest of honor, the focus is not on self, but on others.  Love leaves the last portion for the other.  Love listens and honors around the table. Love settles in and enjoys the conversation.

Love doesn’t focus what is on the plate, but on the company through the meal.. We are promised that our God will provide.  We aren’t promised that He will provide Filet Mignon!  The sparrow has to fly through wind and rain and drink from puddles, yet each need is provided and the little Sparrow is sustained.   We are sustained by our God. 

Each year I go to Romania with Elder Orphan care (Elderorphancare.com – an organization that works with at risk elderly around the world).  There are a number of houses that provide for elderly that would, otherwise, live on the streets. Viorel Pasca is the man behind the elderly, that fights for them and provides through his own sacrifice. He has a George Muller approach to his ministry.  He prays, God provides. God’s provision came one day through a group of school children that came through one of the houses. A small Roma child, the poorest of the poor in Europe, offered all he had. With dirty hands, he offered five potatoes, four onions and a piece of bacon. Viorel was struck by the most generous offer of this small child.  It wasn’t a feast.  It was meager, but the spice that flowed through, and around it, was Love.  The love of a small, obedient child and his family, with Father God in the background smiling at His children and the feast that was presented.    The blessings might look like “just” a gathered bunch of fresh onions and potatoes, with a piece of bacon thrown in for flavor, and not the choice cuts of abundance. Let’s not miss the small things as insignificant. Sometimes the biggest blessings are wrapped in the smallest packages. 

What do your daily blessings look like? When we slow down and find the "choice cuts" of God's manna, we find beauty in the mundane .

Hearts of Fire, Not Your Prayers of Ice

I have chosen the Proverb that speaks to me out of today'  Please journal that which the Lord is revealing to you!   REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD LOVES (15:8–9)

s reading.

⁸ The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
    but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

⁹ The Lord detests the way of the wicked,
    but he loves those who pursue righteousness.

For today,  I am reminded that the Lord wants to create in us a clean heart.  I love Keith Green’s song, 

“To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice”….

To obey is better than sacrifice
I don't need your money
I want your life
And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon
But you act like I'll never return

Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet
How you thrive on milk, but reject my meat
And I can't help weeping of how it will be
If you keep on ignoring my words
Well you pray to prosper and succeed
But your flesh is something I just can't feed

To obey is better than sacrifice
I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights
Cause if you can't come to me every day
Then don't bother coming at all

To obey is better than sacrifice
I want hearts of fire
Not your prayers of ice
And I'm coming quickly
To give back to you
According to what you have done
According to what you have done
According to what you have done

Lord, help us to be faithful to you in our hearts and with our time. Help us to live up to the highest expectations that You have laid out for our lives before there was even time.  We pray that we would offer you hearts of fire according to your power and passion in our lives. 

Move Mountains!!!

I have chosen the Proverb that speaks to me out of todays reading.  Please journal that which the Lord is revealing to you!
Today’s theme seems to be to use words wisely!

15 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
    but a harsh word stirs up anger.

² The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,
    but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

³ The eyes of the Lord are everywhere,
    keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

⁴ The soothing tongue is a tree of life,
    but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

⁵ A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
    but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

⁶ The house of the righteous contains great treasure,
    but the income of the wicked brings ruin.

⁷ The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
    but the hearts of fools are not upright.

Solomon, Solomon—the wisest man that has ever lived, thank you for the constant reminder of the power in our tongues.  In verse 4 we see that a soothing tongue is a tree of life. In looking at this closer we see that a wholesome word is healing.  The word is “marpe” and its primitive root indicates a healing, refreshing deliverance.  Imagine that – our words have the power to heal and refresh a weary soul.

I am going to take this one step farther, out of the figurative “healing” of kind, encouraging words….to the authority that is housed within us when we abide in the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised us in scripture, John 14:12, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”  We are promised this authority through the name of Jesus Christ – healing and deliverance.  Today I will combine the importance of our uttered words to the promises of Jesus Christ and I will know that , "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. (Mark 11:23) and “He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

(Matthew 17:20).

You may have mountains in your life that need healing and deliverance.  Through the spoken word we are promised that healing and deliverance are ours.  Will you speak to your mountains today and move them out of your way, in the name of Jesus Christ?  Will you speak to those mountains and declare healing?   The tongue possesses a tree of LIFE, would you speak LIFE into your dead places today?

 Scriptures on the power and authority of Jesus Christ:

Luke 10:19 - Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Matthew 28:18 - And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Simple Roses!

Wisdom is often referred to as a garland of flowers around the neck,  as refreshing waters and as green, bountiful harvest.  I thought we would look at some simple flowers we can make that can add beauty and dimension to our journals!  Enjoy!

Proverbs 14:30

I have chosen the verse that speaks to me for today and journaled about it.  You choose what verse speaks to you and journal it out in your bible, or in your sketchbook

²⁹ People with understanding control their anger;
    a hot temper shows great foolishness.

³⁰ A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body;
    jealousy is like cancer in the bones.

³¹ Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
    but helping the poor honors him.

³² The wicked are crushed by disaster,
    but the godly have a refuge when they die.

³³ Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart;
    wisdom is not^[c] found among fools.

³⁴ Godliness makes a nation great,
    but sin is a disgrace to any people.

³⁵ A king rejoices in wise servants
    but is angry with those who disgrace him.

Jealousy is a funny thing, it does eat at your mind and at your peace. It truly weakens you and eats away at you, just like cancer does.   You are left with a resemblance of yourself, not your true self and who you were created to be. When operating under jealousy our words are toxic and our thoughts are malignant.

My “simple cure” for jealousy is that when I feel it’s lure – I pray bountiful blessings over the person and ask the Lord to bless them in their pursuits.  So that, in place of jealousy and “lack” my thinking shifts to abundance and kingdom living.   There is enough for all of us, we do not have to scratch and claw for our portion.  Our God loves us so much, He provides more than enough for all of us.

I was created to do what only I can do.  No one else can do what I was created to do.  As we grow and we expand into our true selves, who we were created to be…..the Body grows and becomes more functional. As we support each other and encourage each other into our highest calling – the body becomes a functional Bride.

Jealousy is a dart that can stop this whole process and keep us focused on self- rather than on Him from whom all blessings flow. 

Self and pride, jealousy and strife---all pit us against each other in a tug of war, when in God’s economy there is “enough” for all, with an overflow of abundance!

The Hebrew word here for "healthy" is "chay", and it paints a picture of overflowing, reviving fresh water, of green vegetation. Imagine that, when we are living at peace with God and man, we overflow with living, reviving water. This is our inheritance, this is who we were created to be and how we were meant to operate and "do life"- out of reviving fresh, flowing waters amongst green life and fruit. 

Take away: How are you walking through your days? Is there someone you need to pray for today, a situation you need to give over to God? Is there an area of your life where you struggle with jealousy?  Would you try praying for that person, or that situation this week, and praying abundance and blessings over them?  Let’s see what happens as we switch from a poverty mentality to an abundance mentality!!

PRoverbs 14: 22-28

I have chosen the verse that speaks tome for today and journaled about it.  You choose what verse speaks to you and journal it out in your bible, or in your sketchbook.

²² If you plan to do evil, you will be lost;
    if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness.

²³ Work brings profit,
    but mere talk leads to poverty!

²⁴ Wealth is a crown for the wise;
    the effort of fools yields only foolishness.

²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives,
    but a false witness is a traitor.

²⁶ Those who fear the Lord are secure;
    he will be a refuge for their children.

²⁷ Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain;
    it offers escape from the snares of death.

²⁸ A growing population is a king’s glory;
    a prince without subjects has nothing.

Planning to do evil implies forethought, scheming, engaging the mind is scenarios and plots meant to twist, divide, maim and hurt.  Solomon promises that this will lead to lost wandering.   It occurs to me that we all sow into tomorrow, but what are we choosing to sow?  Our harvest is a direct result of that which we have paid attention to, planted, nurtured and grown.  

If we stake ourselves against God, against a Holy Obedience to the ordinary –we are promised that we will wander.  When I think of one that wanders, I think of one with no roots. No roots brings about lack of commitment and faithfulness.  A tumbleweed blowing across abandoned places, where life “used to be” comes to mind.

Evil thoughts and intentions kill life around it.  We all need the light of the Son to thrive.  Darkness perpetuates darkness and starves the sapling yearning for light. I would like to think that none of us here are intentionally pondering evil.  What is our response to evil in the world around us? Does righteous indignation bubble up within for the broken and the hurt?  There are so many places for Christians to serve, from our homes to our communities, to our nation, to the world….so many places to love recklessly.

When we plan to do good, we are promised unfailing love and faithfulness.  I know this isn’t always true. I know that in this world there is betrayal and we can do all that we know to do to be “good” and people rise up and hit, hurt, accuse and maim.   If we look at the Greek, the word for “unfailing love” is khä·sad' , a primitive root properly, perhaps to bow (the neck only [compare H2603] in courtesy to an equal), i.e. to be kind.  Jesus offered that if we are slapped one cheek, we are to offer the other cheek.  Wisdom paints the same picture here for us. Wisdom would have us bow our head to the assault and not bite back with words, but to be kind in the face of adversity.

In the greek, the word for faithfulness is “'emeth” meaning stabitlity. Wisdom offers us roots, and a heart of mercy.  A heart that does not seek vengeance or to be right. A heart that sows into the broken even as they break us.

Jesus is the living example for us in this verse. What a humbling morning to spend the time with Him and put aside all petty quarrels, and bow my head in grace to those that have hurt me. What a marvel His word is, I delight in the treasures that He has for us each day! 

Proverbs 14:13-17

I have chosen the verse that speaks tome for today and journaled about it.  You choose what verse speaks to you and journal it out in your bible, or in your sketchbook

¹⁵ Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!
    The prudent carefully consider their steps.

¹⁶ The wise are cautious^[a] and avoid danger;
    fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.

¹⁷ Short-tempered people do foolish things,
    and schemers are hated.

¹⁸ Simpletons are clothed with foolishness,^[b]
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹ Evil people will bow before good people;
    the wicked will bow at the gates of the godly.

²⁰ The poor are despised even by their neighbors,
    while the rich have many “friends.”

²¹ It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor;
    blessed are those who help the poor.

Today I am looking at three Proverbs that seem to be strung together for me.

The wise and prudent:

·      Carefully consider their steps

·      They proceed slowly and avoid danger

·      They discern where they are going next and how to act accordingly

On the other hand, the foolish:

·      Believe everything they are told

·      Plunge ahead with reckless confidence

·      In haste, and without foundations, they do foolish things

·      Those that scheme are enemies

Accusations and gossip divide and separate the Body, and are one of satan’s easiest baits for us to swallow. The problem with gossip is that it kills the person you are gossiping about and fuels the gossiper with indignation and judgement that is spewed out with reckless confidence.

I define gossip as: “If you have nothing to do with the problem or the solution, it doesn’t concern you – stay out of it.”   When we listen to slander against another’s character and integrity and pass judgment, we are acting foolishly.  When we judge the intentionality of another’s heart we stand in the judgement seat of God.  Such bitterness, hate, judgement and slander shouldn’t find it’s way into our hearts and into our inner circles.

Open honest communication, where each step is prayed through and considered, promise us that we will avoid the reckless dangers of the foolish.   We are looking at the power of the tongue again, one of Solomon’s reoccurring themes in the Proverbs.  Perhaps, because it is one of the biggest baits used by satan.

Gossip hurts, we hold such power in our tongues to love and to encourage. We have to power to build up an army, or tear it down.  Gossip and slander are like little foxes that nip at the heels and discourage and weaken, a death by a thousand cuts.

How can we encourage someone today?  How can we edify the Body and shine encouragement into another’s heart? Do you know about Salty Sidewalks? It is where we, intentionally, spread the Gospel through the arts.  We make little things and we leave them around our neighborhoods.  We send them to the sick and the hurting, we send them to the military, we send them to the elderly. We send out His word because it will not come back void. We send our His word because it is the biggest encourager.  What will you do today to act prudently in the Kingdom? 

http://www.saltysidewalks.com

Grief Is a Funny thing

I have chosen the verse that speaks tome for today and journaled about it.  You choose what verse speaks to you and journal it out in your bible, or in your sketchbook.

⁸ The prudent understand where they are going,
    but fools deceive themselves.

⁹ Fools make fun of guilt,
    but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.

¹⁰ Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can fully share its joy.

¹¹ The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
    but the tent of the godly will flourish.

¹² There is a path before each person that seems right,
    but it ends in death.

¹³ Laughter can conceal a heavy heart,
    but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.

¹⁴ Backsliders get what they deserve;
    good people receive their reward.

You’ve seen her, we all know her…gosh, we might even be her. Her laughter dances on the wind, but never….quite…..reaches her eyes. Everything is fine and she is good, meanwhile she is dying inside.  In the quickness of our world, we ask, “How are you?” but don’t settle in to hear her response.  “I will pray for you” can fall out of our lips – a soothing balm with no intentionality behind it.  On this day, I want to proclaim that I am a bit “leaky” and tears are springing forward more than the laughter….

Grief is a funny thing, I have come to learn in the past year since loosing my Dad. He relocated to heaven a year ago tomorrow.  On this day a year ago, he rested in bed and our last conversations were spoken, on this side of eternity. A year ago, my Dad was a tangible presence in my life.  The strong man with the big forearms, the strong hands, the handsome man that all of my high school friends had crushes on- was a presence in my life. On May 18^th, 2015 that changed as I prayed my Dad into eternity. 

Grief lingers in your heart, tugs at your memories, manipulates your senses through song and sunsets, thunderstorms and the smell of the beach.  I remember my Dad, so he lives on in my heart.  But then, out of the blue, with seemingly no warning, grief pops up and out and you find yourself having to pull over on the side of the road because the tears are furious and unyielding as they spill out of your heart.

But God….but God made a way for us to grieve with hope. Hope is the expectation of goodness. My expectation of goodness, for the beginning of my Dad’s story, is that he relocated to a better place, where I will join him someday.  To be absent from the body is to be present with Christ.  (2Corinthians 5:8), my God promises me in His word. Grief overtakes me from time to time, but God made a way for all of us to grieve with hope. I think, that there is always a “But God” in the midst of our grief, whatever form that grief takes. God is ever present in our lives.  It may not look like we want it to, BUT GOD is with us and in control.  The strong vertical of the cross connects us to His throne of Grace. We get to live “On earth as it is in Heaven”, because our feet are stepping on Holy Ground, every minute of every day as we are connected to the Throne- through the Cross. Our feet, get to, trod where angels dance. God is in control, from His throne, so we don’t have to be. If your laughter isn’t reaching your heart, and reflected in your eyes, pray. Read through the Psalms – and cry out to God. He hears , He listens.  In my life, the moments that I am the most afraid, most unsure the Psalm are my go-to verses. I put my name, or the name of the person I am praying for in the text, and pray out loud for them. This reminds me of my attachment to His throne as the sweet aroma of prayers reacts with the grace of God 

I love you Dad. As a member of the crowd of witnesses you have taught us much. I remember the power that was locked in your mind and how you approached life with an undaunted spirit.  I appreciate that your life is a testimony that will speak to generations of the peril of addiction.  I love that the legacy you left your son is your faith. I love that I got to spend those last minutes with you as you released into glory. I love that you moaned when I took a breath, as I was praying beside your bed, in the last moments urging me on. I love the peace that was on your face as you passed and we spoke of Jesus and that every knee would bow. I love that I saw you release into Him, I love you Dad.  Happy Birthday, thank you for the lessons you left behind.

My Dad's Glory Clouds on the day of His passing.