Inspiration...quotes of the day :)

It's not about being successful, it's about being faithful.-Mother Teresa

We are not here to judge, we are here to LOVE. Love love love
#GiveLove

If My people, who are called by My name, humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, & require of necessity My face...then will I hear from heaven & heal their land. -2 Chron. 7:14
#crave #seek #require

"No weapon formed against me shall remain. God is my victory. and He is here! All of my life, in every season, You are still God, I have reason to sing, I have reason to worship!"

God is rock-firm &faithful. I'm in His very presence. How refreshing it is!I've made Him my home. God, I'm telling the world what YOU do-Psalm73:25

I choose the true road to Somewhere...I'll run the course You lay out for me God.-Psalm 119:30,32

#HolyRoad #Highway2Heaven

I'm single-minded in pursuit of You God; don't let me miss the road signs You've posted. I've banked Your promises in the vault of my heart- Psalm 119:10 (MSG)

Your laws are so fair that I wake up and praise You in the middle of the night-Psalm 119:62

Martin James McKenna

My sweet friend shannon brought a flower to my daddy the other day and sent me this picture! Gah! Sooo precious!!!! She told me she even talked to him and told him how much I love and miss him...totally made my heart melt!!! God gives us friends/sisters as treasures and gems to cherish. He loves us through them!!!! This is a belated Happy Fathers Day gift to my dad!

Letters of HOPE-tornado survivors

So I just wrote a letter to a survivor of the tornados, that was left fatherless. I wanted to share it with you guys in hopes that maybe God would move you to write one too. I did it for this organization called "Letters of Hope 4-27-2011" I put their information under my letter...you can handwrite one or email one...or even handwrite & scan & email...

Here is my letter:

This letter is to the fatherless on this Father's day. If you have recently lost your father, let me encourage you...there is HOPE! You are not alone! You see, I lost my father when I was just seven years old. I never thought I would heal or be whole again. I felt lost, alone, abandoned, scared and so sad. The pain of losing your own father feels unbearable at times...it comes in waves. Sometimes you feel as thought you cannot breathe, the pain is too deep. That deep place where it hurts, is also where the healing begins. As you feel the feelings, God is healing. He reveals that pain and brings it to the light so that He can heal our hearts. I was mad at God when my father passed away. I kept asking "WHY, God, WHY?" I thought if there was a God, then He must not love me or maybe he is punishing me. At that age it is too hard to wrap your head around...even at the age of 25 (which I am not) it is too hard to understand. For God's plans are far above my own, and His ways I cannot comprehend because He is God and I am not. I am just human, mere mortal trying to make sense of things. Getting angry with God was part of my grieving process. Grief is one of the hardest things to walk through. But it is possible to walk through it...I am living proof. Nothing is impossible for God. The last stage of grief is acceptance, I have accepted my fathers death and know that I will see him again in heaven. I know that God must have thought I could handle losing my father, so he must think I am pretty strong. God has SO much faith in YOU. At this very moment He is looking at you, His loving child, and wanting to Father you! Our heavenly Father is the best daddy in the whole wide world. God gave us our earthly fathers on loan for a time while we are here on earth. This is our temporary home, just preparing us for eternity. There was no guarantee how long we would have either one of our parents, but they were gifts to us for a time. Vessels that brought us into this world, and although their fragile earthly vessels may have passed, their spirits are very much alive and well! God is your Father, He loves you unconditionally and wants the VERY BEST for you. He will NEVER leave you or forsake you. He is always with you even when you cannot feel Him. He holds your every tear in the palm of His hand. He knit you in your mothers womb, you are fearfully and wonderfully made...created in His image. I had to wrestle with this truth for many years, wrestle with my "common sense" and my need to figure everything out logically. Once I finally surrendered all of that, in that moment of pain and fear...there was the hope...waiting for me all along. Hope can be found in moments with no light, moments of despair. That surrender gave way to hope which gave way to faith. Faith in something far greater than myself. There is no pain or loss to great for God to heal. I began to see that God must have really thought I was special, for Him to give me this specific journey in life. What an honor that God would give me the gift of empathy for others who have lost a father. A gift that cannot be bought. Only my own loss could give me such compassion in my heart. He has a purpose for you, a destiny that you cannot even imagine! You have been purposed for this very moment. The bigger the mess our lives seem to be, the more God can use us. The more strength He can bestow on us...His strength. He truly is the most tender and loving Father you will ever know. His love is abounding and matchless in every way. There is absolutely NOTHING that can separate you from the love of God. That is a promise! That is the Truth! Once I realized that, and it went from my head to my heart, I was set free. Free from so much fear and pain. Perfect love casts out ALL fear and God IS love. I reached out and began to experience God more and more, I invited Jesus into my heart and He is my best friend. Even in my darkest moments, and I know I am not alone and there is still hope because there is still Jesus. No matter what my circumstances, Jesus never changes, He remains the same forever. He is stable and steadfast and true. Lean on Him beloved, He wants to give you strength. He wants to comfort you and pour His peace on you like you've never known before. Just ask Him to come into your life, into your heart, reach out to feel Him. Cry out to Him He is listening. Ask Him to prove Himself to you, Oh HE will! I pray this for you my dear friend. That the peace of God is guarding your heart and your mind, right now. That Jesus is your Lord and Savior and He is your Heavenly Father. That He is making all things new and His love and mercy and grace is enveloping you as He wraps His arms around you forever. I know your scared, I know it hurts, it feels like you will die of a broken heart...I know. You are not alone. Cry, its okay, just cry...you are beautiful, you are precious in God's sight. You are soooo courageous and strong, there is more strength that lies within you than you even know. You are safe, God is your protector and defender...He will not let anything or anyone harm you. Death has lost it's sting because eternity has been bought for you my dear. I love you, I am your sister in Christ and I love you with HIS love. This letter is God loving YOU through me. I am just the vessel. I am just a little pencil in the hand of a writing God. Sending His love and truth to the world...to YOU.

Love in HIM, Malorie M.

INFORMATION "LETTERS OF HOPE"

To preserve and gather letters from people all over the world for the survivors of the 4/27/11 tornadoes. We will never ask for anything more than a letter, card, poetry, art or any other form of media that is encouraging, inspirational and will symbolize your idea of "HOPE" to be mailed to us for preservation. Every prayer, every letter or card, every word of encouragement is a piece of hope the survivors can cling to when rebuilding their lives. While material things are an immediate necessity, nothing can provide a sense of peace quite like a letter of hope!

Address:

Wolfe Orthodontics Attn: Letters of Hope/ Dawn Draiss 500 Riverwoods Court Suite B Helena, AL 35080

Email:	lettersofhope4.27.2011@gmail.com

Matt Pitt

Matt Pitt

Matt with former Alabama running back and NFL star Shuan Alexander!!

Matt with Florida Marlins Jason Standridge

Matt with Javier Arenas #28 Alabama...Roll Tide!

Matt Pitt hanging out with Billy Graham...no big deal! Fire!

Prayer

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing,
Dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Oh my goodness!!! This is the sweetest little video that my niece Elizabeth made for me...she is precious & very creative!!!!

Plans, Shmans!!!

Its funny because we make plans and then they don't always happen. Our intentions are good, motives are pure, hearts in the right place...and still nothing. Then after all is said and done...we realize "oh, I guess THIS was the plan." It was the plan all along, we just couldnt see it at the time. Like the mom that got stuck in traffic on her way to the airport, where she would have boarding one of the planes that hit the twin towers on 9/11. But the traffic kept her on the ground. I should say God kept her on the ground. It was His plan all along. But to the human eye wouldn't it look like a nuisance, a missed flight, a hassle, a frustrating traffic jam, a bad morning, maybe a bad day...where nothing is going YOUR way. Well thank God it isn't going OUR way and it is always going God's way. If everything were going OUR way, we would be running the show, running the world...we would be in control. I am thankful that God is running the show. He is in control, and things always go according to plan, according to His plan. What a relief! Takes a big heavy burden off of our shoulders, that doesn't belong there in the first place. So when you start feeling like nothing is going your way, the whole world is working against you, your plans are being ruined...say the Serenity Prayer. And remember that our plans sometimes are not in alignment with Gods plans, so we just yield to them no matter how bad or far off they look...and trust in Him. We might not get what we want, but we always will get what we need.

Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity to ACCEPT the things I cannot change

Courage to CHAGNE the things I can

and the WISDOM to know the difference.

Acceptance is the answer to all our problems today. Accept His will. Accept that He wants the best for you : ) It takes more faith to believe that when everything is not going "your way" or according to the plan...but then ask yourself...whose plan am I following...my own? or God's?

For you have placed eternity in the hearts of men.

And now I know that whatever God does it is final. Whatever He does, He does forever. Ecclesiastes 3:11,14

What God does, He does forever. What He promises will happen. He cannot change, He remains steadfast and true. This world is ever-changing and the people in it. We come and go like dust in the wind. "This world is crazy, can't wait till I make it home. Then I can be w/ Him who I adore. When I'm in the battle He's my shield & sword...the One that showed me Love like I've never known before. Gotta give props to my Lord. My Lord is my everything. He's all I ever need. My Lord is the best."