Void

What does "void" mean? Websters Online defines it as:

1. not occupied; vacant; not inhabited; deserted 2. containing nothing 3. idle, leisure 4. being without something specified; devoid; having no members or examples 5. vain, useless 6. of no legal force or effect; null

I was recently asked for a voided check and it got me thinking about that word. Then I was reminded of two different places in the Bible that use that word - and how each instance draws incredibly vivid pictures in my mind.

At almost the very beginning of the entire Bible it's used. Genesis 1:2 reads, "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep." Sounds rather foreboding - creepy even. If you read on, you hear the story of how God created the universe - He spoke. He spoke the stars, the planets, the sun, the moon, the plants, the animals...everything into being. What wasn't there previously, was there after He spoke. Wow!

The second verse it brought to mind is in Isaiah 55:11 where the Word says, "So shall My (God's) word be that goes forth from My mouth, It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Basically, it's saying that whatever God says, IS.

You know, I've felt void at times in my life. I've felt vacant, deserted, useless and I have a hunch that maybe you've felt that way before, too. But...What has God said about you? What promises has He spoken over your life that have yet to be accomplished? What dreams, goals, desires has He spoken into your heart that need to come to fulfillment?

Take some time to think about those things. Pull out old journals and read about things He's spoken to you. Read the promises He has spoken over each of His children in His Word. They are all for you. Thank Him for those things He's already brought to pass and remind Him (and yourself) of those things that are yet to come.

At the end of one year and beginning of another, I ask God to give me a word for the year. One word that will encapsulate the year He has in store for me - a word that I can hang onto, look forward to, put faith in, take action toward. Last year, He gave me the word "transition" & boy-oh-boy I did not have a clue as to what that would entail! I lived in 3 different states, changed jobs multiple times, lost a close friend, made new friends...and all that was in only 4 of those 12 months!!

This year the word He's given me is "transformational". And - I'm really excited about what that could look like! :) So, I'm looking over old journal entries, prophetic words from trusted, Godly leaders and friends, praying, asking, and reading the Word - I'm expecting all His words about me to be accomplished - maybe not all this year - but His words do not return void - they accomplish what He sent them forth to accomplish. I know it's gonna be transformational for me - and it can be for you, too!

Simply...Excited!

I'm excited! Not about one thing in particular. Simply excited! There are soooo many things we can be fretting over, anxious of, stressed out about and irritated by - so instead, I'm choosing to be excited.

The fact is, I woke up with a really bad headache and didn't sleep well last night. But I got up and started praising Jesus anyway. I looked outside and saw we finally got those flurries we were supposed to get yesterday morning and that made me smile - and Magellan was pretty happy about them, too!

A couple of years ago, I re-injured a vertebra in my neck - the C-4 - if I recall correctly. I had been hiking on a trail at the Natchez Trace outside of Leaper's Fork, TN. One of my favorites! I slid on some fallen leaves but caught myself before falling completely. The next day, I happened to be on a ladder that started to fall, so I jerked it back the opposite direction in order to steady it. All that to say that those two incidents in combination exacerbated an injury to my neck about 15 years earlier when a friend and I were rear-ended by a drunk driver. This time, however, the pain was much worse. Pain radiated from my neck and down my arm. I like to think I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but this had me crying and being sent home from work. Thanks to prayer and a couple of wonderful chiropractors (along with a break from my way too high heels), I got better.

The following spring, I was going to train for my second half-marathon with a wonderful group that I helped start called One Voice Runners, in Franklin, TN. Only a few days into the training and I realized, my neck wasn't ready for that much running. I was disappointed. Later that year, I was able to train with the team and run my second half-marathon.

I don't know where you are this morning - physically, emotionally, spiritually - but find something to be excited about. I was able to run five miles last week and two miles yesterday. I have gas in my amazing Jeep, a wonderful Golden Retriever, a place to live, food to eat, family and friends that love me, my own business! How amazingly excited am I? And I bet, if you try hard enough, you can find some reasons to be "simply excited" too! We're not promised tomorrow - so live today to its fullest! Ask the Lord for His favor and to tune your ear to His voice. Obey Him. Smile at the cashier, engage someone who seems lonely in conversation, call your parents and tell them you love them, give the homeless person on the corner all the cash in your pocket, run a mile just because you can. It's truly exciting!

Flurries in the Forecast

The forecast calls for flurries this morning with more accumulation tonight and tomorrow. We need it here in Denver. It hasn't snowed for about a month and most of the old snow has melted. Magellan went to the corner of the back yard this morning and rolled in what was left of it. He loves playing in it & so do it! Other parts of Colorado have gotten up to 5 feet of snow over the past week - but they don't need anymore and we do. I'd like about a foot...having a Jeep sure comes in handy!

Since I was out of town, visiting Southern California from Friday through Monday, my regular routine is out of whack. I'm living with an older woman who no longer drives and help her with keeping the house clean, going to the grocery store, doctors appointments and hair salon. She's very sweet and mentally sharp. She'll be 88 on her next birthday. Since it's supposed to snow today, she wants to go to the grocery store this morning. So we'll load her, Magellan and her Golden, Bisbee, up in her Camery (not one of the recalled ones) & head over to King Soopers (aka Kroger in other parts of the country). She's so cute. We both get carts and split the shopping list. We're supposed to meet in the front of the store to check out but I usually find her back in the bakery looking at cookies. She has quite the sweet tooth and we normally have a couple dozen fresh-baked cookies in the house - which continues to test my resolve to eat healthy, whole, non-processed foods as much as possible. :)

When we get back & unloaded, I'll take Magellan & Bisbee for a run, then I'll take myself for one. :)

This afternoon, I'll work on my new business. Yes. I'm self-employed again - Hallelujah! I've been praying for something exactly like this - where I can work from anywhere and far exceed any income I've known previously. It's a very exciting opportunity that I know God showed me as a result of obeying His voice and a small prompting to change what I had planned, go out of my way and walk into a business I had never even seen before He prompted me.

I encourage you to be very sensitive to God's voice. That's something He's been telling me. I've posted it on Facebook and Twitter, but obey that still small voice quickly and each time you hear Him. Don't analyze what He's saying - simply respond - no matter how silly or seemingly insignificant it may seem.

Hopefully, I'll be playing in the snow with Magellan, Bisbee and Reepacheep (my Jeep) tomorrow.

Different

From as far back as I can remember, I've felt "different". At times, it's felt more like "weirdo" or "misfit" but most often it's felt like "special". Not in the "bless her heart" kind of special but the "how the heck did that happen to her" kind of special. I attribute this feeling to my parents and my relationship with Jesus.

My parents are wonderful. (And I'm not saying that for any brownie points - they don't even have internet so they won't be reading this.) In my heart of hearts, I know they raised myself and my four sisters in the best way they knew how and with the minimal means they had at the time. My dad was a pastor and drove a semi (he still drives for FedEx) and my mom worked various jobs over the years. They raised us to be respectful, honest and creative. Mom has always had a love for music and animals (not necessarily in that order). Dad loves trucks, buses, writing and art. I feel like I'm a good blend of both of them.

Sometimes feeling special has made me feel guilty. Like I have some kind of unfair advantage over others. Sometimes feeling special makes me feel misunderstood and like an outsider. But God's been showing me that this different-ness, this special-ness, is His favor - and anyone can have it - not just me. Being His daughter and feeling His favor upon me carries with it a responsibility - and it's kind-of heavy - though not burdensome.

Each one of us has a destiny. I'm endeavoring to accomplish the one God designed for me...and it IS an adventure. My prayer is that as I blog these happenings, you'll be encouraged, inspired and find His favor and destiny, too.

So, Magellan (my Golden Retriever) and I are here in the Denver area, meeting new people, driving in Reepacheep, our Jeep, and living life to its fullest.

the blog bandwagon

So, I've succumbed to the idea of sharing my life with others through a blog. It just seems like the thing to do right now. Because I've lived all over this wonderful country, I've had the opportunity to meet amazing people from all its corners. Many of those I've met along the way have become close friends - others just acquaintances. I love people - meeting people, talking with people, learning from people... Having a blog will enable me to share my life with those who are friends, those who are acquaintances and those I haven't gotten the privilege to meet just yet. That said, here we go! I pray you enjoy this adventure as much as my faithful companion, Magellan, and I do!