ForeverLOVEd

"And bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;   for this son of mine was  dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate." Luke 15: 23-24  Birthdays. This week arrives every year in August where I have a million birthdays to celebrate. Somewhere in the midst of chocolate cake and wrapping paper, I have the chance to celebrate some pretty important people in my life. It just so happens that two of my brothers have back to back birthdays! And with birthdays always being kind of a big deal in my house I brace myself for the week where the birthday celebrations are double.  How do you prepare for a birthday? Little kids pick out party themes. Teenagers chose fancy presents. And adults gather for dinners or nights out on the town. Then there are presents to be wrapped, decorations to hang, and cake to be cut. But regardless of what the party entails, the fact of the matter is, everyone is there because ...

So God created  mankind  in his own image,  in the image of God  he created them;  male and female  he created them. Genesis 1:27  Running five minutes late and barely awake, I always manage to drive over the pretty pink flowers at the end of the driveway. Although I felt kind of bad every time I looked up as I shifted into drive and saw the squished petals, I was in a rush and moved on with my day. My mom, however, I know cringed when she saw these little flowers no longer looking like the flowers she had so lovingly planted. By about the fifth time, she understood two things; A. I could not back out of the driveway and B. Those flowers had little chance of blooming there. Yet, every time she took the time to trim and primp the flowers. And on a regular basis she would clean out the entire planter and replace them with new ones.  A couple months ago the fresh dirt caught my attention. My mom had a trunk full of beautiful blossoms ready to be plan...

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all." 2 Thessalonians 3:16  Person after person made their way to the podium. They recounted memories and shared simple stories of the man they had known as a friend, brother, uncle and priest. It was a man that had so evidently impacted each of their lives in one way or another. There was laughter and there were tears, but the shared love of that priest and our Father filled the room.  There in the casket, laid a man who had lived his life for God. And as I imagined where he might be now, I pictured the overwhelming peace he would surely  have. A man that stood up for his beliefs, it is certain that life here might not have always been easy. Only after his death did I realize he fought in a war, suffered depression, and dealt with the normal ups and downs of family life. An average man that lived his average life fully for God now left this world for a better p...

"Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”   And He said,  “Come!”  And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus." Matthew 14:28-29  When the "Lizard Wizard" asked for volunteers, a quiet and sweet boy raised his hand. As the teacher picked him, he hesitantly made his way to the  dare chair  and took his seat. Only moments later he would be asked if he wanted to hold an ALLIGATOR with bare hands or cushioned in a towel. With boos from the audience of kids, he answered with the towel, please. We counted as he held the alligator for twenty seconds.  His face made it seem like an eternity. I am almost certain he held his breath the whole time.  Next, the girl in the chair next to him bravely held the alligator, bare hands, for her twenty seconds, without even a flinch. Suddenly, the boy saw her bravery and was inspired. With a newfound motivation he informed the wizard that h...