Bound around my waist, in the center of my body, a belt squeezes me tight.  No room to shift around under this belt.  It has a sure hold.  The grip is undeniable.  Although, my waist wants to push it off and become flabby with exorbitant delicacies that belt holds tight.  It is a certain length and cannot be added to.  I have found that it is actually much shorter than I once thought. That belt points up to my chest where a protective covering sits.  This covering protects my heart.  The lifeblood that pours through me is filtered underneath this…

It is sad.  This chair I am sitting in.  It has some pretty ugly scars.  It is still incredibly comfortable.  I can prop my feet up on the ottoman or pull my legs up in the chair with me.  It is even big enough for me to lay on my side and catch a short nap. At one time the fabric was my favorite.  I still enjoy the colors.  I still enjoy having this chair.  But it is unsightly now.  I am not really sure if the quality of the fabric was not durable enough for the beatings we have…

She has always seen me differently than I see myself. She looks through eyes of love and forgives my imperfections. She knows they are there but doesn’t get bogged down in the trivial. Her hugs are all encompassing. She wraps her long arms around me and doesn’t hold anything back. She isn’t shy about displaying how she feels. She has hugged me all my life. There is a picture of her and me. I was just a baby. They had put a wig on my head that made me look like a little Native American with long dark braids. But…

Haven’t I been guilty of the very same thing?  Singling out those that may disagree with me and knowing they oppose my thoughts.  It doesn’t make me dislike the person or become angry because they think differently than me.   Just offers me an opportunity to love regardless of our differences. Offers me an opportunity to reflect on my beliefs and lay them down beside God’s Word for a self-check.  Am I believing truth?  Or do I need to readjust my beliefs to bring them in line with where He wants them to be?  Or do I need to hold…

They pass by with swollen bellies. Life growing within. And I remember being there. Three times I carried that growing life. I felt the pokes and prods of little hands and feet and head and knees. Not knowing at that time how the pokes and prods would be so different decades down the road. How they grow up and away! No longer needing mama’s protection. No longer wanting mama’s protection. That life giving time oh so fleeting. And as those young mothers pass I want to reach out and hug them. I want to tell them to cherish each moment.…

In tight spaces, we look for creative ways to optimally utilize the area.  Every hole filled.  Packing in as much as we possibly can.  Packed so tightly nothing else can fit. When we are bored, we find something to occupy our time.  Looking for entertainment to fill each moment so our minds are full.  We read or watch television or exercise or illuminate our faces with a screen or eat.  Cramming as much into whatever it is we are doing to avoid boredom. Always needing more. Or so we think. My office is a small space.  I sit in it…

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 6:11-12 (NASB) When evil invades and takes lives God is still in control.  I know my pea-brained mind struggles knowing the seemingly senseless act stripped loved ones away from families.  Young lives taken so soon.  Parents left without that child.  I can’t wrap my…