May 17, 2012
This week we went to the arboretum in Dallas for a concert and saw breath-taking displays of color! The Dallas Arboretum has the wonderful privilege of hosting an exhibit by the world famous artist Dale Chihuly. He has created and delicately placed his beautiful and colorful glass works of art in and amongst the flowers and plants in the gardens. It is a wonderful sight to behold, especially at night when the glass is lit in such a way that it seems to glow.
As I looked at Chihuly’s unique and original style, I couldn’t help but reflect on the fact that God has created us and designed us each with unique and different gifts and talents. What makes this world beautiful and colorful is the diverse gifts and talents we have. Let us celebrate the beauty God has given each of us and how we each have various functions and purposes in the world. We don’t need to try to be like everyone else. Let us be thankful for the uniqueness of each individual. 
Just as the Chihuly exhibit is a celebration of style and color, so let us celebrate the different gifts and talents God has given us to use for His glory. Let your light shine brightly in this world, so that others are drawn to our wonderful and glorious Lord.
May 7, 2012
Recently, Curt and I flew to Florida for a business conference, and God surprised me with several precious, new friends. One is a speaker, actress, and writer from Brentwood, Tennessee. She recognized me because we are both in a national organization called Christian Women in Media (www.CWIMA.org), and we are randomly Facebook friends as a result. Alice Breuer and I connected immediately, and we spent a great deal of time on the trip visiting about the Lord and all that He is doing in our lives. As sisters in Christ there was a deep connection between us.
The very same evening I meet Alice, I also meet Shannon, a wonderful believer from Tyler, Texas. It only took us a few minutes in conversation to recognize we were both Christians and shared many of the same interests, most importantly an interest in growing in Christ. We bonded immediately, and I felt as though God gave me another heart to heart connection. By the way, when Alice and Shannon met, then they too enjoyed getting to know each other, and we soon became a sisterhood of three.
Another special surprise on this trip was to see my old, childhood friend Billy Glass and his wife Laura. What a joy to reconnect and establish a wonderful, rekindled friendship. Interestingly, I was in the midst of finishing up writing another book on this trip, and I needed one more story to place in the last chapter. As Billy and Laura shared with me about their Downs Syndrome son (Billy Ray) and the blessing he is to so many, I knew this was the story for my book. I was blessed to spend time with Laura, interviewing her about Billy Ray’s story. I even mentioned Laura in my video this week, so click on to my video to see what I learned from her.
I marvel at God’s gracious surprises in life. He brings gifts to us, often in the form of new friends. I watch with anticipation as He continues to guide my path. How has He surprised you lately?
May 2, 2012
God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.”
Genesis 1:27
After God created all the birds and fish and every kind of animal according to their own kind, there was still one creature He had in mind. This one would be different from the others. This creature would bear the image of God. Obviously humans are not created exactly like God, for an image is simply a reflection, not an exact replica of the model. We reflect certain characteristics about God which separate us from plants, animals, birds and fish. What are those characteristics? We demonstrate His nature in our ability to reason, in our creativity and imagination and in our speech. His character is reflected in our capacity to love, forgive, show patience and kindness toward one another. Just as He is an eternal being, He has given us an eternal soul which will carry on when our bodies have long since decayed.
There is dignity and worth in every human, because each human is created in God’s image. Let us recognize the value of every life including our own, for we reflect the image of our Creator.
(This post is an excerpt from my new book Pursuing God in the Quiet Places
April 23, 2012
Just back from a wonderful trip to New York to visit my daughter Grace. She is currently working on her masters at Pratt in the area of Community Art. As you may know, she started an afterschool art program while at Baylor called Waco Arts Initiative. Grace plans to expand the program to other cities. You can read all about this life-changing art program and the possibilities ahead at www.nextdoorarts.org I’m so thrilled for all she is doing to impact the next generation!
As I was there in New York, I also had the opportunity to speak at a Christian Women in Media event near Rockefeller Center. What a joy to encourage these women who face daily challenges as they live out their faith in all forms of media. I encouraged them with a reminder that although life may not be good all the time, God is good and we can rely on His unfailing love. We all need the reminder that God is with us even in the dark valleys. We are not alone. I truly enjoyed getting to know the women at the event. If you live in or near NY and are in any form of media (publishing, acting, television, radio, music) and want to connect with other Christian women, this is a great organization. Go to www.CWIMA.org
April 16, 2012
There ain’t much fun in medicine,
but there’s a good deal of medicine in fun.
Josh Billings
He who has a glad heart has a continual feast.
Proverbs 15:15b Amp
A number of years ago, Norman Cousins, famous editor of Saturday Review, was told he had a severe case of an incurable, progressive, connective tissue disease. He decided instead of sitting around allowing the pain to take over, he would become proactive in his health care management and especially his attitude. One of the things he decided to do was to obtain copies of old shows and movies he had always enjoyed like “Candid Camera” and Marx Brothers films. He also decided to read humorous books. He reported that 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter would relieve his intense pain for hours.
While Norman was in the hospital he started a routine of watching movies, laughing, sleeping, watch movies, laughing sleeping and so on. After a while he was moved out of the hospital because his laughter was disturbing other patients, but he continued his treatment with astounding results. Using massive doses of vitamin C and a tremendous amount of laughter every day, he experienced a gradual withdrawal of his symptoms and eventually regained most of his freedom of movement. You can read his entire story in his book, Anatomy of an Illness (Bantam Books, 1981).
Don’t let a day go by without adding a little laughter to it. Look for the humor in the world around you. Never laugh at others, but always be willing to laugh at yourself. It’s a lot more fun to laugh at our own blunders rather than stew or worry or cry. Make it a policy this week to wag more and bark less. Live, laugh and love!
