Sun Dog Sighting

Have you ever seen a sun dog? Despite its strange name, a sun dog has nothing to do with our furry, four-legged friends. It's a weather phenomenon that only occurs on extremely cold winter days. If you live in the South, chances are you might never see a sun dog. But for those of us who have the "privilege" of experiencing single digit to below zero temperatures, the elusive sun dog is not such a rare sight.

Basically, a sun dog, also known as a mock sun or phantom sun (scientific term: parhelion) is "an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun," according to Wikipedia. Sun dogs usually only appear when the temperature is under 10 degrees Fahrenheit, which causes ice crystals in the atmosphere. These tiny ice crystals create halos by refracting and reflecting light. The reflecting light, displaced 22 degrees to the left and right of the sun, is also sometimes called a snow bow.

This glorious display of light reminds me of how great our God is! "Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind." Psalm 104:1-3

If you live in a cold climate, be on the lookout for sun dogs! You have to be an early riser, though, since the best time for viewing sun dogs is at sunrise.

Five Minute Friday ~ See

You can’t live life with your eyes closed. Well, you can, but you won’t really see. You’ll miss the sun’s rays peeking through the clouds over a frigid field of snow. You won’t see the way your daughter’s eyes light up when she giggles and gives her daddy a big hug. You’ll overlook the way your son crinkles his brow when he’s working on a really tough math problem. And you’ll miss LIFE.

These everyday snippets are more than just moments. Put them together, and they’ll pack the suitcases of your mind full of precious memories.

Sometimes – more times than I care to admit – I don’t really see. I have my head down in a screen or a book, and life just passes me by. It’s something I regret, and something that I’m trying to work on this year. Choosing to see.

Father, open my eyes and help me to really see. The abundant life you’ve given me is so much more than screens and Facebook and Instagram and texts and distractions. Give me Your eyes, Your vision, Your heart… so I can truly SEE.

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This is an entry for Five Minute Friday. Every Friday hundreds of writers join in this five minute writing exercise at Lisa-Jo Baker's blog, Tales from a Gypsy Mama.

We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that Lisa-Jo posts on her blog. And we connect on Twitter with the hashtag #fmfparty (Five Minute Friday Party).

No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation.

Unscripted. Unedited. Real.
Have a blog? You can join in, too!

Can One Word Really Change Your Life?

I have always had a love/hate relationship with the start of a New Year. On one hand, I see it as a fresh opportunity, stretching out before me like a pristine beach at sunrise. Untouched, unspoiled, full of promise.

Then there’s the other side of that coin: Looking back at the old year with regret and seeing the missed opportunities and failures. The "could haves" and the "should haves."

A few years ago, our family started a tradition at the start of the New Year. It didn’t involve the typical New Year’s Day fare of corned beef, black-eyed peas or cabbage (thank goodness!) or the writing of resolutions. But it did involve food for the soul.

This tradition has quickly become one of my favorites – choosing a word that we want to characterize our new year.

So on New Year’s Day, we all gather at the table and write our words with a corresponding Scripture verse on index cards. And we take turns sharing our words with each other and describing our vision for using the word in the year ahead.

It seems simple. But each year, this little tradition has had a profound impact on our family. Each year, we come back together and share stories about our word from the previous year, and how God used that one little word in our lives.

In the past, my words have included character traits (gentleness), things I want to become (captivated - click on the link for an explanation) and spiritual disciplines on which I’d like to focus (prayer). This year, I thought I had chosen my word, but then something changed. I read a  Scripture on the morning of New Year’s Eve, and it was like God saying, “This is it.”

You show that you are a letter from Christ… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:3)

I knew after reading this Scripture that my word for 2014 would be WRITE. Of course, the word has dual meaning, because I’m a writer and have set certain goals for my writing. But the other meaning is far more significant to me: This year I intend to open an empty page and invite God to write His story with my life. I want to show others that I’m a letter from Christ. I desire for my life to be an instrument in the hand of God so He can etch out His words on tablet of my heart.

Father, You are the Author of me, and Your grace and eloquence are abundant in my life. Write your words through me. Help my life to communicate Your love, Your peace, Your joy, Your truth. You are the Word. Without You, I have no words. Speak through me, Father, and make me Your letter.

Have you chosen your word for 2014? If not, it’s not too late! Start now, pray for guidance, choose one word and see how God will transform your life!

It's a Wonderful Life Trivia Quiz!

 

If you’re like me, you’ve probably watched the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life at least 139 times (or maybe it just seems like that many). It’s definitely a favorite at our house. I mean, who can resist rooting for the underdog, George Bailey, and his lovely wife, Mary, as they struggle against Mr. Potter’s evil schemes?

 

So just for fun, I created a little It’s a Wonderful Life trivia quiz for you. Test your knowledge and see where you rate. Are you an IWL Aficionado, Fan, or Flunky?

 

Here we go: (Answers appear at the bottom of the post – no peeking!)

 

1. What famous actor was considered for the part of Mr. Potter?

a. Edward Arnold

b. Vincent Price

c. Humphrey Bogart

d. Spencer Tracy

2. According to the telegram Mr. Gower receives, Bedford Falls is in what state?

          a. Iowa

          b. Pennsylvania

          c. New York

          d. Ohio

3. Which animal appeared in every Frank Capra movie?

          a. Sassy the Squirrel

          b. Jimmy the Raven

          c. Willy the Westie

          d. Lucky the Basset Hound

4. True or False: For the scene that required Donna Reed to throw a rock and hit a window in the old Granville House, Frank Capra hired a marksman to shoot out the window on cue.

          a. True

          b. False

5. Where was the school dance scene shot?

          a. The RKO studio lot

          b. Hollywood YMCA

          c. Beverly Hills High School

          d. Los Angeles YWCA

6. What is the last name of the angel sent to help George Bailey?

          a. Milford

          b. Wingley

          c. Oddbody

          d. Jones

7. How many children do George and Mary Bailey have?

          a. 5

          b. 4

          c. 3

          d. 6

8. What are the three gifts Mary Bailey gives to the Martini family when they move into their new home?

          a. bread, salt and wine

          b. a wreath, a loaf of bread and a goat

          c. wine, bread and butter

          d. a pie, a loaf of bread and wine

9. What song plays in most of Clarence’s scenes?

          a. O Holy Night

          b. Angels We Have Heard on High

          c. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

          d. O Little Town of Bethlehem

10. What was the name of the police officer in the town?

          a. Bob

          b. Ernie

          c. Joe

          d. Bert

 

Results (Answers Are Below):

8-10 Correct Answers: Congratulations! You have achieved the expert status of IWL Aficionado! Your friends will be amazed at your knowledge of useless movie trivia and your mother will be oh so proud!

5-7 Correct Answers: Not too shabby. You’re definitely an IWL Fan. Watch the movie a few more times this Christmas season to achieve expert status by next year.

4 or less Correct Answers: Wow. Really? Where were you when everyone else was watching the movie? Don’t worry. It’s not too late. Go out and buy your own DVD copy and watch at least once a day, and you’ll improve your score considerably.

 

Answers: 1. b, Vincent Price; 2. c, New York; 3. b, Jimmy the Raven; 4. a, True, but she didn't need him because the rock she threw really broke the window; 5. c, Beverly Hills High School; 6. c, Oddbody; 7. b, 4; 8. a, bread, salt and wine; 9. c, Twinkle, Twinkle; 10. d, Bert

Feel free to share this quiz with your friends on Facebook or Twitter! And remember, as Clarence once said: "No man is a failure who has friends." Merry Christmas to all!



Words I Would Whisper to My Teenage Self

I wish I knew then what I know now. That who I am in Christ is all that matters. That other’s opinions of me don’t count.

I wish I could go back and tell the teenage me – that girl whose heart was hurting because her boyfriend dumped her out of the blue for a girl at camp, that girl who tried too hard to make sure everyone liked her, that girl who wondered sometimes whether God was even there – I wish I could whisper some things in her ear.

I’d speak words of truth into her heart about who she is in Christ, and this is what I’d say:

Girl, you are loved by the Almighty. You are a daughter of the King of Kings! You are precious, chosen and redeemed. Don’t let anyone belittle you or put you down! You might do some stupid stuff, and maybe friends will turn their backs on you, but it won’t be the end of the world. Remember this: You are amazing, you are beautiful, and the God of the Universe sings over you. Long before He created the world, He had you on his mind. You are worth more than gold. Jesus gave His very life for you! And He has good things planned for your life. You’ll see. Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid. Don’t believe the Enemy. You are good enough, because of Jesus.

I can’t go back and whisper to my teenage self. But I can whisper these words to my own two teenage girls and pray that they will truly believe them, that they will fully grasp “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:18)  I can pray that they will “know him better… and that the eyes their hearts will be enlightened in order that they may know the hope to which he has called them, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:17-19)

And you know what? While I’m at it, I just might whisper these things to myself, too, because a reminder would do my heart some good.

What would you whisper to your teenage self if you could?

 

 

So happy to be linking up my #WhoIAm post with the Proverbs 31 Blog Hop today! I'm learning so much through the current study, based on Renee Swope's book, A Confident Heart.

{Day 31} ~ Wrapping It Up

To say I was apprehensive when I first started this 31 Day series on prayer would be an understatement. As I linked up my first post to The Nester’s blog, questions bounced around inside my brain. Could I really blog for 31 days on the same topic? What if I didn’t complete the task? Am I even qualified to write on this spiritual discipline? Who do I think I am?

Hmmm… I have an answer for that last question. Who do I think I am? I’m a daughter of the King, created and loved by the Almighty, and qualified through Jesus’ work on my behalf to bring my requests to God. In fact, He wants me to pray; He commands me to pray! So why not explore the amazing gift I’ve been given in prayer?

Of all the things I’ve learned through blogging about prayer for 31 days, one thing stands out: In order to have a relationship with God, I must invest in my prayer life. It’s not an option. And unlike the stock market, this investment is 100 percent guaranteed to reap eternal rewards.

So, I guess I would say that my perspective on prayer has changed quite a bit during these last 31 days. I have come to realize that prayer is not so much asking as it is listening; it’s more conversation than it is monologue.

This quote by Dutch Sheets pretty much sums it up:

Prayer is not a check request asking for things from God. It is a deposit slip – it’s a way of depositing God’s character into our bankrupt souls.

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This is the last post in my 31 Days to a Powerful Prayer Life series. Find all the posts in the series here.

{Day 30} ~ Luke 24:38 ~ Examining Our Doubts

“Why are you frightened?” [Jesus] asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?” Luke 24:38 NLT

Have you ever read something and said to yourself, “Yes! This is exactly what I’m feeling! And I thought I was the only one…”? This has been my heart’s exclamation for the past three weeks, as I’ve been reading A Confident Heart by Renee Swope for this fall’s Proverbs 31 Online Bible Study.

Through Renee’s writing, I’ve realized the main source of my doubts – worrying about what others think of me. Here’s what Renee says:

We find ourselves in the shadow of doubt many times because our thoughts are mostly about ourselves: how we’re performing and what others are thinking about us…. When we focus our attention on ourselves, we turn our attention away from God. We leave no room in our thoughts to listen to what He is thinking about us, because we have given that place away to be occupied by other people’s opinions. We become overly concerned about what others think of us instead of what God thinks about us.

In order to shift our focus, we have to turn our thoughts completely toward God “by thinking about His strengths instead of my weaknesses,” Renee says.

The example of Gideon is one Renee uses in her book to brilliantly illustrate her point. At one point, Gideon was paralyzed by fear and insecurity, and during his conversation with God, he listed all the reasons why he couldn’t do the job God had asked him to do. Check out this conversation – I love Gideon’s honesty in this passage:

When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon asked, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” (Judges 6:12-15)

Well, at least Gideon was polite when he questioned God with his “pardon me, but…” How many times have I talked to God and said similar things? “But God, I can’t do that! That takes too much time, or faith, or talent, or (fill-in-the-blank)! Ask someone stronger – I’m definitely not the one you want!”

But, you ARE the one God wants. And so am I. If He chooses me for a particular task – no matter how hard that task may seem or how unsuited for the task I might be – He will follow through. Not because of my strength, but because of His.

So, starting today, I am actively moving forward and turning away from my doubt, worry, insecurity and comparison. With God’s help, I am turning toward Him and focusing on His truth.  His truth says that because of Jesus, I am loved, I am cherished, I am valued, I am good enough, and I am His child. Nothing can ever change that!

Father, thank You for Your truth. Help me to remember that if You call me to do something for You, I have everything I need to complete that task. Your faithfulness is my refuge. Deliver me from my doubts and fears, and help me to rest in Your plan for me. You have begun a good work in me, and You have promised to complete it!