This is my mom and dad. We just got back not too long ago from a New England/Canada cruise. I had never been on a cruise other than in the Caribbean. I am a sucker for the Caribbean. However, this was a nice change and besides, there was still the beach!I have always loved the beach. I could live there. There is just something about it that moves my soul. My favorite part of a beach day is sunset. Sitting at the edge of the sea as it tosses it waves up close to my feet. Sinking my toes into the soft sand. The setting sun kissing my brown shoulders. The gentle, warm southern breeze whisking through my locks of ocean dried hair. The smell of suntan oil on smooth skin. The beauty of a sun sinking lower with it's orange and yellow colors cascading over the water. The sound of seagulls making music in my ears. Man, I can close my eyes and almost be there.The next best thing would be cruising. Still on the water with frequent beach destinations. I do love cruising. My mom turned me on to this, so it's all her fault. She takes me on a cruise once a year. Sometimes just the two of us and sometimes we let my dad come along (ha!). We both enjoy it so much.We do things with the whole family as well, but this is a time that my attention is not divided. I can listen to what is going on in my parent's lives. Enjoy what they enjoy. Develop a better friendship with them. Make memories with them. Simply share time.My mom has learned that all she has to do is wave the beach/ocean "carrot" in front of me and I'm sold. I'm thankful that they take the time to continue to build an adult relationship with me. So...when is that next trip mom? (wink, wink)
Man, oh man, oh man....can kids get messy! I mean, just look at that face on Eden. Isn't it adorable even in the messiness? Doesn't it make you smile looking at that messy face? Now, when she was done, if she were to ask me for a kiss, do you think I would reach out and kiss her with that messy face? (Well, to tell the truth, I have kissed her with pink frosting on her lips). This time she was just a little bit messier, so I would have cleaned her up first and then smooched her sweet face right off! You know how it is, they can get really-really messy, but we love them so much that we lovingly and gently help them get cleaned up and returned back to their old cute self.I wish it were like that in the adult world. What? We get messy? Yes. I am talking about other kind of messiness. The kind that hurts and is much more difficult to clean up. Adults makes messes. I know that my christian friends would jump in and do whatever they could to help an unbeliever clean up a mess. I have seen them in action. They have helped people through one crisis after another, all to show the love of Christ and in hopes that they would want to know Him more. We want to minister to a lost world. Those without God make so many messes. And we expect them to make messes. Lots of messes. Christians makes messes too. What? We get messy? Yes. All kinds of messes. Even the ones that hurt and are difficult to clean up. However, this is where things get a little "different". I am surprised at my christian friends at times. Oh, not all of them, but a lot of them. When their brother or sister makes a mess, they want to hurry up and wash their hands of them. They don't want to invest the time it takes to help restore them. The Bible tells us to be good to all people, but especially to those in the family of God (Galatians 6:10). We should be willing to gently and lovingly come along side them and help them clean up a mess, loving them no less. We have so many opportunities to love, encourage and help one another to clean up messes. The ways are endless. Facebook, for example. Instead of looking at someone's messy profile with a judgemental attitude, why not post something good and encouraging on it? If we take the simple way out and ignore them or just delete them, well, isn't that wiping our hands of them? How will we reach them? How will we help them if we just write them off? Here's another example. Meeting with them. If they want to meet with you and talk, my goodness, don't turn them away! That is your opportunity to listen, speak Truth to them, pray with them, love them and help them figure out a path to clean the messiness up and be restored. What about gossip? Instead of adding to a mess, why not ask the person wanting to gossip if they would be willing to pray about it all? You lead them! Call your christian friend, just to speak some kind of encouragement. Email them. Buy them a book that you think could be helpful. Oh, the possibilities are endless.You could be a part of investing in a future pastor, another Beth Moore, or even a brother/sister who will one day use what you have invested in them by ministering to your children or grandchildren!I know from my own experiences in life that I have had some wonderful believers step in and help me through some very difficult times that were brought on by my self. And they walked right beside me every step of the way and still are today. I also know the other side of being tossed to the side as a used up christian not worth anything. That is painful. Imagine being a part of pulling someone down when Christ wants to use their mess to turn them in to better. Or turning your back on them and they never know their true potential and live the rest of their christian lives defeated. How heartbreaking!Whatever the mess, no matter how long or how hard it will be to clean up the mess, don't give up on them. Don't give up on your brothers and sisters in the Lord. They need you. Love them. Love them. Love them. You are bound together by an eternal bloodline. You who were bought with a high price yourself. You who have been forgiven of sooo much. You need to love and help not only the lost, but those messy siblings as well. Besides, I bet YOU have made messes before...
Ok...ok...ok! I am getting so much harassment about my "giving in to fall" proclamation that I thought I better explain. For the record, I LOVE FALL! Look at those warm, vibrant colors on the trees. I am a warm-color kind of girl anyway, so the colors are perfect. In fact, I even made everyone stop the car last Sunday so I could jump out and take a picture of a tree. The big, bright yellow ones with the dark trunks are my favorite of all! (Side note; those who know me well, know I am a tree-loving nerd anyway)
My problem is letting go of summer. I hang on to it for as long as I can, squeezing out every last ounce. It is my favorite season, and I hate to see it go. So, every year, fall has to "push" it's way into my heart. I think fall is just jealous because it gets the least amount of decoration time. I wait so long that Christmas decor begins to steal fall's fair share. However, once I do give in to fall, I embrace it and snuggle in with it. This year the defining "moment" that I gave up was with the carving of pumpkins. The girls and their Momaw picked out those bright orange beauties and thus began my fall dive. 
I got busy right away making our home into a cozy nest of fall colors. I do love the feel of an inviting home. Twinkling pumpkin lights now adorn empty spaces and the flicker of candlelight bounces off of the wall.
Now I can give in to my fall coffee flavors. I've purposely held back ordering my pumpkin spice latte out of rebellion, but now I cave in every time. Think I will go have one right now. If you come looking for me, I will be in this chair snuggling up with my mug, throw, and a bounty of leaves. Oh, by the way, I have a chair next to this one if you care to join me! Much love to ya'll this fall!
This is my mom and dad. We just got back not too long ago from a New England/Canada cruise. I had never been on a cruise other than in the Caribbean. I am a sucker for the Caribbean. However, this was a nice change and besides, there was still the beach!I have always loved the beach. I could live there. There is just something about it that moves my soul. My favorite part of a beach day is sunset. Sitting at the edge of the sea as it tosses it waves up close to my feet. Sinking my toes into the soft sand. The setting sun kissing my brown shoulders. The gentle, warm southern breeze whisking through my locks of ocean dried hair. The smell of suntan oil on smooth skin. The beauty of a sun sinking lower with it's orange and yellow colors cascading over the water. The sound of seagulls making music in my ears. Man, I can close my eyes and almost be there.The next best thing would be cruising. Still on the water with frequent beach destinations. I do love cruising. My mom turned me on to this, so it's all her fault. She takes me on a cruise once a year. Sometimes just the two of us and sometimes we let my dad come along (ha!). We both enjoy it so much.We do things with the whole family as well, but this is a time that my attention is not divided. I can listen to what is going on in my parent's lives. Enjoy what they enjoy. Develop a better friendship with them. Make memories with them. Simply share time.My mom has learned that all she has to do is wave the beach/ocean "carrot" in front of me and I'm sold. I'm thankful that they take the time to continue to build an adult relationship with me. So...when is that next trip mom? (wink, wink)
