Do We Settle?

In America, we say we have a culture of creating a great customer experience.  You hear about it a lot. Working at a church, the importance of first impressions is sometimes very weighty.  People are quick to leave a church when it doesn’t feel right to them. After all, there are tons of other options. It’s imperative that we make a great first impression on our guests.

Our culture is an interesting thing. We say one thing, but yet settle for something totally different.  I believe that we are in a precarious time in society.  Are we settling for mediocrity? The real questions I have to ask is, “Do I settle?”  My family went to the movie yesterday. After paying $67 for the movie and popcorn, I began to take in my surroundings a little:  the broken lights in ¾ of the concession signs, the filthy tile, the lifeless staff, and the carpet that I wouldn’t touch with my bare feet.  I couldn’t believe that a business that extracted so much money from me would operate in such a shabby manner.  Then I looked around me. Was I the only one who saw this? Did anyone else notice the popcorn that cluttered the nasty carpet?  Were they annoyed as I was with the lack of respect or honor for my patronage?  However, it was not the first time I went to this theater. It was not like I wasn’t aware of how this particular business operated.  So the question I had to ask was why was I there?  Why did I return and give them my hard earned money?  I had to admit that I settled for their mediocrity. 

I have just finished reading a book on Steve Jobs. Now that man had some issues, but one of the things that I have taken away from his life is his pursuit of excellence.  If I want to achieve great things, mediocrity is not even part of my equation.  I have decided not to settle: not in a business that I visit, not in my work I produce, nor in the way I conduct my relationships.  I invite you to join me.  Don’t settle anymore.  It’s time to expect greatness out of ourselves and others.

My Heart's Desire

There are many things that I think about when I see the phrase, "My Heart's Desire". I want to have a strong, loving marriage.  I want to inspire my kids to change the world.  I want to be successful at all that I do.  The list could be endless. However, I came across something that really spoke to my heart today that I want to hold on tight to:  I hope that I have helped people more than I have hurt them.  I want my time on this planet to be a benefit to people. That means that I have to get my head out of what I want, what I think, and what I think should happen.  I should watch.  I should listen. I should support.  Sounds easy, right?

What chu lookin' at?

Do you want to know what's wrong with you?  Well, just call me up. I will be so ever gracious about it, but I can tell you point by point the things that are holding you back.  

Have you ever felt that sometimes we are so quick to point out the flaws or imperfections of others? However, I'm learning that when I do that, I'm deceiving myself. It's almost like an automatic buffer to the many issues in my own life. It's a free pass. I don't have to focus on examining my own inadequacies, my shortcomings, my sins. It's an open invitation to examine my perception of someone else's. You've got issues? Yea, I know it. Everyone around you does, but do you know what? So do I. So do they.

And then walks in grace.  Grace that led a father to welcome his wayward, prodigal son home with arms open wide. No matter what sins he had committed, there was a place for him at the family table. Grace that led a Savior to stretch out His arms on a cross; hands that were held open to us by nails.

How I want to constantly live in that freedom.  Grace that says its not about anything other than my relationship with my precious Jesus and His people. I think the point is not the issues that we all carry, but loving each other despite them. I want to always strive to become more like Jesus.  However, He's gonna love me the same despite how far short I fall.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

                                                                                                     1 John 4:  7-12

The Boogie Man

I am convinced that the immobilization that accompanies fear brings death to the hopes and dreams of what could be. 

I tend to get comfortable when life clicks at a certain momentum.  I like to know what tomorrow will bring.  It might be busy, but I know its stuff that I've done before.  No sweat. No pressure.  I like that place too. It's like a fluffy, cool comforter.  It's the place where you just want to snuggle in and stay for awhile. The comfortability factor gives me the illusion that I am secure and just where I need to be.


However,  I've come to realize that comfortability can hold me captive if I'm not careful. If I choose to stay comfortable, I will miss the blessings and opportunities that God has in store for me because I will refuse to take risks.  The longer I choose to stay comfortable, the less likely I am to move when opportunities present themselves because of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. Fear of the boogie man.  Fear, though is not the issue.  Being immobilized because of the fear is the problem.  I am coming to the place where I realize I need to just get comfortable with being uncomfortable because I refuse to be held captive, refuse to be immobilized, and refuse to be marginalized.  


For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

My Daddy's Legacy

One of the toughest things I've ever had to do was to give one of the eulogies at my Daddy's funeral.  I thought I would share how this extraordinary man touched my life...

My father was one of those hard working dads who always knew what to do in any circumstance. No matter what came around the corner, my Daddy would know how to tackle it. He always had a solution for every problem, and he had a way of making the most complicated things seem simple.  That gave me such comfort and security growing up.  I could always count on Dad.  As a little girl, I was in awe of him because he was so strong and confident, and silent.  I remember being a little afraid of him because he was always so quiet.  If I am honest, I was probably a little afraid of Daddy because he always seemed to know when I was getting into mischief. You see, he was engaged and invested in the lives of his family.

My Daddy was adventurous.  We had the best childhood.  It was not unusual for us to be camping, tubing down the Big Black River or hunting deer in the woods.  Daddy made sure I was well vetted in knowing how to run a trot line, shooting a double barrel shotgun and helping skin a deer.  I guess it's not too surprising that I didn't get married until I was almost 30 years old. I found that most men were intimidated by a woman with my particular skill set.  I am sure that was Daddy's plan all along.

My Daddy was tough.  I would often see Dad working on something around the house with multiple bleeding cuts all over his arms and legs.  He would be oblivious to these wounds because he was so focused on taking care of his task.  His family was the most important thing to him, and he was intent on taking care of us.  Whether it was handling some job around the house or helping me and Bobby navigate through childhood struggles, Daddy taught us one of the most important lessons:  to have the courage and tenacity to tackle life.  Passivity was never an option in my house.  Daddy showed us time and time again that we could achieve great things if we just had the courage to believe in something and acted.

My Daddy was loving.  As I grew older, I discovered that he was a very compassionate and kind man. There was never a moment in my life when I couldn't turn to Dad for advice or help.  I remember calling him to tell him and Mom that I was getting married.  We hung up, and Gary and I went out. When I returned later that evening, I noticed a Miller Lite Beer can sitting on the stair railing by my apartment. Inside the can was one single, red rose.  Instinctively, I knew that Daddy had come by. He had driven 6 hours that night just to tell me he loved me. 

My Daddy was generous.  When I got married, I was amazed at how Daddy became the storyteller in our family.  We would sit around the dinner table for hours while Daddy shared stories about his childhood and our family with my new husband.  He wanted to help my new husband feel like a part of our family.  I remember how he also tried to help Gary navigate through our interesting family.  I once saw their two heads together at the family reunion. He was giving my husband advice on how to tackle the ladies at the gaming table. His advice:  "Just be quiet and keep your head down."

My Daddy was a giving grandfather.  My kids have grown up with a special love for their Grandpa. He designated time to take them out to shoot his guns and to ride the 4-wheeler.  He made sure he walked them through his garden to pick tomatoes and peppers. They would walk around the yard eating those treats and just talk about life.  He wanted to create and share experiences that were his and his alone, and he did just that.

Jerry Bob Womack was a man who gave his best in life.  He has shown us how a man should love and honor his wife. His love for my mother has set a standard for us all. He has raised 2 children who love and seek after God with their whole hearts, and he has 3 beautiful grandchildren who will carry on his legacy of compassion, generosity, and tenacity.  I will forever be grateful that we all had the opportunity to be on the receiving end of Daddy's best.

Wired Up

Staying tuned in to the tension of the moment can be a challenging and a humbling experience. I recently read that we tend to rush the tension of the moment in the haste to calm down or resolve an assumed conflict.  That seems natural, doesn’t it? No one likes tension. So the natural tendency is to rush through it to get to the other side. However, should we really focus on the other side or should we focus on the tension itself?  I am coming to a place where I can see that the process is so important to my personal growth.  That means tension is good.  It’s the place where I go to God for grace, direction and wisdom.  It’s the place where I see God at work.  Why do I get anxious about it? My goal? I’m not going to question the process or the tension. I’m going to embrace it. 


If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  Galatians 5:25

Goals. Objectives. Strategies.

Lose weight? Spend quality time with my kids? Focus on my relationship with my husband? Read more? Cuss less? (Ok, so I don’t really cuss.) Like so many, a new year somehow brings to mind the desire to set goals for the coming year. As I began to ponder the things that I wanted to tackle in 2011, I decided that I should make a list and write a few goals for the coming year. I thought it was a great time to reevaluate the direction that I’ve been moving, and to create some tangible objectives for the things that I would like to achieve in this new season of my life. So as I sat down at the computer to put down in words the many thoughts that were flying through my mind, I have to admit that I was a little perplexed. After many unsuccessful attempts at clarity, I came to realize that I had little depth in direction and purpose of what I wanted to achieve in 2011. It was then that I recognized that I had missed the key component in setting these super, new goals. I neglected and overlooked the importance of seeking wisdom from the One who guides my direction and gives me life. Once I spent some time with God, I came to realize how off-course I'd been in my thinking. To be sure, I had the desire to lose a few pounds and to read more, but in the end, those things seemed so insignificant.


I have come to the conclusion that I might not have specific personal goals to attain for 2011. However, as I listen and read and pray, I am finding that what’s important right now is not what I want to achieve, but it’s how I want to live. I want to live a life that glorifies my God in heaven. I want to live a life that consistently puts Him first, and to love His people the way He has commanded. I think if I can focus on that, He will also help me do the rest.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
                                                                                 1 Corinthians 13:2 

My Date for 2011

Big dreams for 2011. So blessed to walk through life with this man.


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